


Ash Remains

by ElelsOther



Category: Naruto
Genre: And other Jutsu, Angst, Badass fighting scenes, Character Death, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, F/M, I'm not kidding you might cry, Minor Character Death, More angst, Ninja, Ninjutsu, Not a love story but eventual relationship, OC and Naruto need a break, Perhaps Too Many Plot Twists, Plot Twists, Violence, chidori - Freeform, fighting and blood, it's naruto after all, rasengan, you can find this on Quotev
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-01-21 09:11:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 53
Words: 160,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21297032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElelsOther/pseuds/ElelsOther
Summary: Training as an Academy student, bullied. Chosen as a member of team 7, underestimated. The only one who knew Gurehai Soraku was infact a prodigy, was the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Now her time  to shine as a shinobi has come, and not in the form of the emotionless path she thought she would eventually have to follow. Naruto-Naruto Shippuuden
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 100
Kudos: 368
Collections: A Collection of Beloved Inserts, best fic collection ever read





	1. Part I- Teams, Teammates, Senseis

''Gurehai?"

''Hmm.''

''Gurehai, honey, it's time to wake up.''

''I'm up, mother.'' The girl abruptly tore the covers off her body and sat up, rubbing her eyes. A thin layer of sweat covered her forehead and neck, while a long, paper-thin cut ran from her left bicep down to her elbow. _Please don't question it, mother. Just don't. _

Gurehai's mother looked at her sadly and then patted her head, making her daughter sigh in relief. Grabbing her walking stick and standing up, the woman slowly made her way out of the room. ''Go wash up yourself up. I'll make something for you to eat before you leave.'' The girl just nodded, still facing away.

When the door closed behind Mrs. Soraku, Gurehai jumped down from her bed and went to the bathroom, staring at herself in the mirror. Her white hair fell down on her shoulders, covering her right eye, as always. Her ice blue eyes looked dull, as always. Her face was an expressionless mask, as always. Well, the latter was not entirely true. Lord Third seemed to continuously find a way to crack it.

Taking a shower instead of just washing up, and wearing her regular attire, which consisted of a dark grey, yellow and icy blue jacket over a black, tight tank top, black shorts and black sandals, she began to ponder. The graduation test was yesterday, and today teams were going to be announced.

_It was the stupid Clone Jutsu, as always. They judged us by whether or not we could create a mirage._

She looked at her reflection one last time, before following the scent of freshly brewn tea into the kitchen. _Three man cells, with no exception, since we are 27. Uzumaki didn't pass. Who will they pair me up with? Nara, Akimichi and Yamanaka will be one cell, the successors of the Ino-Shika-Cho. But for everyone else..._

"Thank you, mother." She bowed her head slightly as she ate her toast and drank her tea. _I don't even care who they will pair me up with. It won't change they way they'll treat me, or they way they look at me. I just have to get stronger... I have to prove myself._

_"_I'll be leaving now, mother. Please make sure you don't forget your walking stick when you go outside." Gurehai walked to the front door and drew her hood up, which stopped a little above her eyes.

''Good luck, honey. I have no doubt you'll be in a wonderful team.'' The limping woman wished with her weak voice, as her child exited the house. Reaching inside her jacket and pulling something out, she stared at her reflection on the cold metal plate and then tied the headband around her forehead. The white haired girl inhaled the fresh morning air and started walking, putting her hands in her pockets. _Today isn't the day I show myself, as always._

Kids were slowly entering the Academy, heading to their classrooms, talking to each other. Gurehai simply went for the class assigned for the Genin meeting, and came into a halt when she saw Nara nearing it as well. Looking at him with a blank expression, and him responding with his usual bored look, the boy held the door open for her to pass.

''Morning.'' He greeted.

''Morning.'' She returned.

Shikamaru was a different case from... well, practically everyone else. He and Akimichi never joined in when the others mocked her. Understanding the reason the latter chose not to intervene, she never really questioned that or why he didn't stand up for her either. Why stand up for her? They barely new each other, and in the end, he'd be bullied as well. She again expect too much from others, as always. At first, she thought Shikamaru didn't take part because he was too lazy. But then she found out he and Akimichi were best friends.

Plopping down on the desk by Naruto Uzumaki's, she laid back in her chair, and watched as Nara and and the blond boy exchanged words. She still didn't understand how Naruto got his headband, but she didn't get into the trouble of asking, even though the boy came out of the examination room without one the previous day.

_''Uzumaki Naruto!'' Iruka-sensei called, and the said student jumped up and entered the room with him. Not long after, he got back out with a frown in his face and no headband, anywhere. _

_''Gur-...''_

_''I'm here.'' Gurehai instantly called, not giving the teacher a chance to properly announce her name. She didn't want the attention, but unfortunately got it, as always._

_''Oi, looks like Gure is going in.''_

_''She's never going to pass. Not with those marks.''_

_''She'll probably cry to the senseis and beg them to promote her to Genin.''_

_When she got in the examination room, trying her best to ignore everyone, she stood in the presence of Iruka and Mizuki, who looked down on some papers and then back at her._

_''Gurehai Soraku?" The blue haired man asked, and she nodded, eager to get it over with. ''You will be performing the Clone Jutsu for us. An average of three Clones, and you pass. Begin.'' Gurehai performed the hand seal and closed her eyes, reopening them when four perfect images of herself appeared, two on either side of her. They all looked at the senseis with their hands on the hips._

_''Congratulations, Gurehai. You may come for your headband.''_

Starting to doze off, Gurehai was surprised when she heard a herd of elephants start running down the Academy halls-eh? The door burst open once again and in came Haruno and Yamanaka, the people she least wanted to see at the moment. And, as always, they were fighting about Sasuke Uchiha. Today's topic: who will sit next to him. She almost felt sad for Naruto, who already sat on that spot. Almost.

''Move!" The pinkette yelled and pushed the blond out of the way, who ended up falling face first on the ground near Gurehai's feet. ''M-morning, Sasuke-kun.'' The Uchiha stared at her. ''Mind if I sit next to you?" And then her ears were filled with the obnoxious voices of every single girl in class, arguing about who would sit next to Sasuke because they got there first.

5 minutes, a kiss and a beating later, Naruto ended up sitting next to Sakura, who sat next to Sasuke, who didn't seem to care if the world was coming to an end outside the Academy walls. Or was that Shikamaru's thing?

''As of today, you are all full-fledged ninjas. However, you are still Genin. From here on, you'll be in a squad of three, or, with one exception, a squad of four, and carry out your missions with your Jonnin leader. The groups have been determine so that the strength of each group is balanced. Now...'' Iruka sensei went on and on, and Gurehai stopped paying much attention, until the names started getting called.

As she expected, Ino-Shika-Cho was one cell. Inuzuka, Hyuga and Aburame was another. And then...

''Now for Team 7. Uzumaki Naruto... Haruno Sakura...'' At this point, Naruto was flying high and Sakura looked depressed. ''Uchiha Sasuke...'' As the two exchanged moods, Gurehai sighed in defeat. Why with her, of all people? ''And Soraku Gurehai.'' Complete silence followed his words. Even Naruto, who previously looked as if he was about to say something, stared at the teacher like he had grown a second head.

''Eh?" He blinked, scratching his head. ''Who's that?" Said girl buried her face in her palm, before turning her attention back to Iruka.

_Gurehai Soraku? That's... Gure?_ Sakura's brow twitched, and then she let out an exasperated cry.

_Her? _Sasuke stole a glance from his seat, and saw her staring at the board blankly. _Another nuisance to drag me down. She's probably worse than Naruto and Sakura..._

''IRUKA-SENSEI!'' Naruto bellowed, pointing at the Uchiha. ''Why does an exceptional student like me have to get grouped with _him_?'' Sakura glared daggers at her new teammate but stood up as well, sticking her nose up in the air.

''Furthermore, why does _she_ have to be in this team? Since she's the extra, couldn't you put her alone?" _Stupid hippo, will distract me from Sasuke-kun._

''Like I said, the groups are designed to balance themselves. Sasuke had the best grades among the class, while you Naruto, were at the bottom! Also, while Sakura has the best academic performance, Gurehai graduated with the greatest fighting skills!'' Gurehai's eyes widened, as slowly everyone started to look and glare at her. _No, Iruka-sensei... why did you have to say that?_

''Just don't get in my way, loser." Sasuke stated, making Naruto glare at him. Meanwhile, Sakura looked angrier by the second. _She... has... better fighting skills... than me?_

_''_What did you say?"

''Do you wanna fight me, loser?" Giggles irrupted from all around the room, making Gurehai inwardly roll her eyes. Her team really couldn't get any worse.

''I will introduce you to your Jonnin leaders in the afternoon. Until then, you are dismissed.''

Gurehai spent her afternoon reading a scroll about Chakra Natures, that she had already read thrice in the past. Lord Third had given it to her, and to achieve her dream, it was essential. When the afternoon came around, though, Team 7 was the only one without a Jonnin leader, and her fellow comrades didn't fail to complain about it.

''He's late!"

''Stand still, Naruto!" 

''But we're the only team without a Jonnin! All the other squads have gone off with their teachers, but not us!" He complained, again, and crossed his arms. For the past 2 hours, Gurehai had been sitting to the desk from before, three rows away from her teammates. And then, Naruto had the brainwave of setting up a prank... for the Jonnin. 

''That's what he gets for being late.'' He reasoned, placing the eraser between the door and the wall, so that it'd fall on his or her head.

''As if a Jonnin would ever fall for such a trick.'' Sasuke voiced Gurehai's thoughts, looking away from the scene.

''Exactly! You real-...'' Sakura's sentence was cut off when the door finally opened, and the eraser actually fell on the teacher's head. Gurehai's faith in Jonnin superiority had just been completely shattered, while Naruto went on laughing at the masked man's face. ''I'm s-sorry, sensei! I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen!" She instantly excused herself, making her female teammate sigh. Standing up, she joined her teammates, standing behind a sitting Sasuke.

''How can I put this?" Their new sensei rhetorically asked, scratching the back of his head. ''As for my first impression of you guys... well, I hate you.'' He bluntly stated, making 3/4 of the team sulk. _You aren't bringing me down with that statement. Besides, my first impression of you is that you're possibly useless. _''Now, come on. Meet me up at the roof.'' Then he suddenly disappeared in a cloud of smoke, resulting to Gurehai walking wordlessly past the others and exiting the room.

Her teammates followed her, and soon they were seating in front of their sensei. Sakura on the left, with Sasuke on her side, who had Naruto on his left. The white haired girl chose to sit cross legged behind the boys.

''Lets see... first, I'll have you guys introduce yourselves.'' The man said, as the Soraku fiddled with the end of her sleeves. _As if you don't know our names already... _

''Introduce ourselves?" Sakura echoed, frowning. ''What should we say?" _The usual... What you ate last night, your favorite ant species, details on you criminal record..._

''Your likes, dislikes, future dream, hobbies, stuff like that!" And then, after the complaints of both Naruto and Haruno, he introduced himself first, basically letting them in on his name. ''Now you, the blond one.''

''My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I love instant ramen! But what I love more, is the ramen at Ichiraku Iruka-sensei treats me too! I really hate the three long minutes I have to wait after pouring hot water on the ramen cup, and my hobbies are eating and comparing ramen! And, my dream of the future is to surpass the Hokage! I'll make everyone in the Village acknowledge me, believe it!'' _For the Village... to acknowledge you? Uzumaki, you..._

''Okay, next.''

''My name is Sakura Haruno!" She chirped, bushing a bit. And then came nine seconds of torture. ''What I like, is... I mean, who I like... is... My h-hobbies...'' She stared dreamily at Sasuke, who seemed to find the color of the sky really interesting. ''My future dream... is... AAA!'' Gurehai tried not to wince at the girly scream and just buried her face in her palms instead. ''I hate NARUTO AND GURE!"_ Nobody cares besides you, bully. _She didn't respond, listening in to Uchiha's introduction.

''My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I have lots of dislikes, but no likes in particular. Also, I don't feel like summing up my ambition as a dream, but I do have one. The ambition to restore my clan, and kill a certain man.'' _If my assumptions are correct, the person you want to kill is an S-Rank criminal, previous Anbu of Konohagakure. Even though you're the least annoying out of this bunch, you still are stupid._

''Okay...'' Kakashi trailed off, narrowing his eye at him. ''At last we have...''

''I am Gurehai Soraku.'' She hesitated, contemplating of whether to reveal some information or keep it short and mysterious, like the sensei. ''I don't have any hobbies, likes or dislikes in particular, though I _hate_ one thing... and that's others judging someone from what they see. As for my goal for the future...'' She paused, making sure to emphasize the way she replaced the word 'dream' with the word 'goal'. 

_''Fire has always been a hard thing for me to grasp, you know, Hai?"_

_I'll do it father. I'll grasp it... for you._

''...I want to master all five Chakra Natures, and create my own Jutsus for each one of them.''


	2. Up Against A Jonin

Doing her best to be quiet, so that she wouldn't wake up her mother, Gurehai maneuvered though her house, picking up weapons and other equipment, as requested by her sensei. Team 7 was instructed to gather at 5 in the training grounds, for their first mission. The mission was basically a survival exercise, in which her future as a Genin would be determined. Not showing her frustration, she wished they'd all pass. _I have come such a long way, I have graduated. I can't let Lord Third down. I won't allow others looking down at me anymore. 8 more steps, father._

She finally tied her headband around her forehead and walked to the kitchen, ready o leave a note behind for her mother. Her eyes fell on a plate on the counter, and she halted. Gureki had made her toast, like every morning, accompanied by a cup of juice. She hesitated. _Kakashi-sensei not to eat unless we wanted to throw up... but how are we supposed to do any exercise without eating first? And mother went into the trouble of preparing this..._

She eventually grabbed a slice and munched on it, leaving behind her note. **At the training grounds with the team, don't expect me home until lunch time. Gurehai.**

The day before, the girl didn't get the chance to talk with her mother. After the afternoon meeting, she had gone to the Hokage building, in hopes of training with Lord Third. After being told he was busy, she was allowed into the library, where she found a book about Chakra control. If Hiruzen wasn't going to teach her, she'd have to try walking on trees on her own. He attempts were futile, and she ended up bruising her entire right arm. And so, the woman didn't know about her team, nor their sensei.

Arriving at the training grounds at 5 o'clock sharp, Gurehai saw her new teammates approaching, each looking more miserable than the other. Naruto seemed to still be sleeping, and Sakura like she couldn't see a foot in front of her. Sasuke looked slightly phased.

''Morning.''

''Hi.''

''Murnming.''

''Hn.''

Gurehai rested her weight on one foot, arms crossed. _Aren't senseis supposed to be earlier than everyone, and then lecture them for being 42 seconds late?_

But Kakashi didn't show up, not even 4 hours later. The white haired Genin was about to suggest leaving, since their sensei had obviously more important things to do than teaching, when she reconsidered and went to sit under a tree, emptying her pouch and taking out scroll. Sakura looked at her like she was crazy.

''What are you doing, Gurehippo?" She asked, watching her teammate attaching paper bombs to her kunais.

''Making the most of my wasted time, Sakura-san.'' She replied calmly, not looking up from her work. The other girl huffed and turned around, sitting down next to Sasuke, who refused to move from his spot. _Gurehippo. Five years later, and she still thinks her words hurt._ The reason Sakura and basically all girls in class called her that, was because she was one size bigger than them, with broad shoulders and a slim waist, which made her hips look bigger. 

Done with the kunais, she opened the scroll she had also acquired yesterday and started reading about Wind Style Jutsus._ This is the next step._

''Hello everyone, good morning!" Kakashi greeted, and instantly all eyes turned to him.

''YOU'RE LATE!'' Naruto and Sakura accused, pointing their fingers at him. Gurehai gathered her belongings and walked over to the rest of the team, standing behind Naruto.

''Well, a black cat crossed my path, so...'' He trailed off, earning an incredulous look from his students. ''Anyway, for today's assignment! This clock is set for 12 o'clock. All you have to do...'' He pulled three bells from inside his pocket, and held them up for them to see. ''...Is to take these from me by then. If you fail, you'll be tied to this post, get no food, and you will be forced to watch me eat my lunch in front of you.''

The children's stomachs growled, but not Gurehai's. She was looking at her sensei in thought. _So that's what not eating breakfast was all about. And, if eating his lunch in front of us means he'll take down that mask, I should probably get Sakura to fail. Wait... three bells?_

''But, sensei... you only have three bells.'' Sakura pointed out after a second, and the boys seemed to realize it as well.

''Correct. Best case scenario, at least one of you will be tied on a post. That means, they will immediately get disqualified, and return to the Academy.'' He smiled, resting his free hand on his hip. _The Academy? No, I can't go back again. ''_Come at me with intention to kill me. That's the only way you will actually have a chance.''

''But sensei, that's d-dangerous!" Sakura claimed, looking more as seconds flew by._ For you, perhaps. You could be on the ground in less than a second and he'd only have to move his finger._

''Yeah, she's right! You couldn't even dodge that eraser yesterday!" Naruto pointed out. Gurehai had completely forgotten about how the Jonnin had crushed her dreams.

''Those who complain more, tend to be the weakest links. So, I'll just ignore the loser.'' Kakashi retorted, making his student angry. ''Begin when I say s-...''

Uzumaki charged at the sensei with a kunai in hand, and Gurehai anxiously waited for his reaction. When the man stopped the attack and backfired it, making the kunai point at its holders head, she started rethinking her actions. _So he is a Jonnin after all._

''Don't be so impatient. I didn't say 'start', yet.'' He stated, releasing the boy. ''At least you came at me with intention to kill, that's something. I think I'm starting to like you guys.'' The blue eyed female opened her pouches and slid her hands inside, grabbing hold of two kunais. ''Now, start!''

Gurehai back flipped on a tall tree, staying hidden between its branches. From there, she saw Naruto challenging Kakashi, who didn't even bother to take him seriously. Taking out an orange book from his pouch, the sensei began reading. That of course, angered the blond more. After pathetically trying to get a hold of a bell Naruto performed the Shadow Clone Jutsu. _The Shadow Clone Jutsu? He can perform a Jutsu of that caliber? So that's how he passed the exam._

But, no matter how impressed she was with him, Gurehai kept herself from calling out to him when their sensei performed a Tiger seal. _He's going to die... that's a Fire Style sign._

''Leaf Village Secret Finger Jutsu!'' The Jonnin shouted, positioning himself behind Naruto. Everyone watched with wide eyes, but... ''A Thousand Years Of Death!" And into the air Naruto flies, his bum aching where Kakashi had buried his fingers. _There goes my faith again..._

Assuming her idiotic comrade was tied to the posts, Gurehai jumped down from the tree and began to wander, until she found a clearing, and her perfect chance for a trap. When she tied the last string of thread, a scream echoed through the entire forest, and she could only imagine what happened to Sakura. _I hope she didn't die. A team can't be made up by just two people._

Hearing twigs snap nearby, she got into her battle position, holding her kunais near her face. Making sure to look around before turning to her sensei. 

''Ah, here you are, Gurehai. Are you going to attack as well?" Kakashi asked, still holding his book. Taking a closer look, the girl noticed it had an image up front, and the words 'Icha Icha Paradise' plaster on it. _Wait... isn't that... _ ''You know, 'Gurehai' is a bit long. Would you mind if I called you Gure? Hai, perhaps?" Her eyes widened a little at the second suggestion, before she regained her composure, and sent a kunai flying near his neck. The weapon lodged itself on the tree behind him with a loud thud.

''I expected more from the graduate with the best fighting skills. Your aim is a little off.'' He commented, taking a step forward. She inwardly smirked.

''Now, is it?" She asked, before pulling at the thread attached to the kunai, triggering the trap. A dozen shuriken came for the sensei's head but he quickly dodged, jumping into another thread. That one triggered another dozen of shuriken, and when he moved again to avoid them, he went exactly where Gurehai wanted him to go. Performing a series of hand signs, she slammed her hands on the ground. _This is the second step, father._

"Earth Style:" She announced, and the Hatake's eye widened. ''Stone Spike Prison!'' All around him, spikes erupted from the forest floor, immobilizing the lower part of his body. The stone, spiky edges were so close to his face, that a single movement could draw blood. _She's using Ninjutsu too? Her and Sasuke, who would have thought they had such Chakra... _Before the Genin could make her next move, her sensei's body was replaced with a puff of smoke.

''That was a nice technique.'' She heard from behind her, and turned around just in time to see herself attacking her with a kunai. She blocked it with her own, only to find out the second her had an equal amount of strength. _I got trapped in his Genjutsu... shit. _Knowing she had to find an opening and break it, Gurehai tried to put herself in Kakashi's shoes. _He made a fake, based on the abilities he knew I had. So the illusion..._

Gure gripped the handle harder, slicing up, forcing her Chakra through the blade. Now covered in Lightning, the kunai broke through the fake's one and shattered it to pieces, giving her the opportunity to kick her impostor in the gut. _...__Can't do this!_ Quickly performing the necessary hand sign, Gurehai closed her eyes.

''Release.''

When she finally opened her eyes again, she found herself on the same clearing, but this time completely alone, and panting. Just as she had caught her breath, and was ready to get back up on her feet, the shrill sound of an alarm going off filled the air. Her head dropped. _Have I failed? Guess I'll just have to go to the post and meet up with the others._

Sure enough, when she got there, she saw Naruto tied tightly into the middle post, and the remaining two on the ground, pouting. Secretly satisfied she wasn't the only one with no bell, she walked over to them, hearing their stomachs growl, louder than last time. Her own felt normal, as she had eaten something in the morning.

''I can hear your stomachs growling!'' Kakashi said, looking down at them, once Gurehai had sat down between Naruto and a wooden post. ''And, as for this exercise, there's no need to go back to the Academy.'' He announced, and the white haired girl's breath hitched. _I did it. I'm not going back. Maybe sensei decided my skills were-_

''But all I did was lay unconscious... Is that okay?" Sakura asked doubtfully, making her female comrade suspicious once again.

''Does that mean the four of us...!" Naruto grinned, while his crush jumped up and down, cheering.

''Yes... The four of you... should quit being Ninjas!" He snapped, gaining his students' attention. Gurehai stared at him hurt and dumbfounded.

''No, wait! I get the fact that we didn't take the bells, but why are you telling us to 'quit' like that?" Uzumaki shouted, trying to set himself free.

''Yeah... Doesn't effort matter at all?'' Gure asked, staring expectantly at Kakashi from the ground. ''I mean, most of us tried.'' Her words took a while to sink in, since no one had really heard her voice before, and was surprised by its smoothness. When Sakura got hint of the jab aimed at her, she went to argue.

''Well, you're all squirts who don't deserve to be called Ninjas, so...'' Soraku watched in confusion as Sasuke shot up from her right and attacked Kakashi, who effortlessly pinned him on the ground. ''I was saying you're all squirts.''

''Don't step on Sasuke-kun like that!" Sakura shrilled, balling her fists.

''You all think that being a Ninja is easy, huh?" Their sensei asked, earning surprised looks. ''Why do you think you're doing these exercises in teams?" That made her think._ In three, four man cells. We had to use our numbers... we had to work as a team to get them._ Kakashi only confirmed her suspicions. ''The reason is that you have to use teamwork. Nevertheless, it's too late, even if you realize it now. The four of you might have actually stood a chance, if you had worked together. Well, too bad.''

''Well then, wait. Why were there only three bells in the first place? Even if we succeeded in taking the bells from you, one of us was bound to fail, anyway.''

''Yes, Gurehippo is right. Wouldn't it create internal discord, if three members were to go all out and pass, while one had to hold back and inevitably fail?"

''That was the exact purpose. It's under these conditions, where one's own interests aren't the issue. The intention was to select those who could prioritize teamwork, however, you idiots... Sakura, you were only concerned about Sasuke, and you didn't even know where he was. You didn't care for Naruto, who was right before you eyes. Just like you, Gurehai.'' Her head snapped up when she heard her name.

''You didn't even try to find the others. You went on alone and set up traps, not caring if one of your teammates fell for them!" She hadn't even thought about it like that. _What if Sakura had stumbled upon the threads, in search for Sasuke? There's no way she'd be able to evade all of them, and no matter how despicable she is, I wouldn't like to be named 'comrade killer'. _''As for you, Naruto, you only run solo. You...'' He pressed his foot harder against The Uchiha's head, making him grunt.

''You labeled the other three as hindrances, and acted on your own! Missions are carried out in squads! There's no denying that Ninjas need unsurpassed individual skills, but 'teamwork' is considered far more important than that.'' Gurehai's face fell, realizing he was right. ''Individual actions cause crisis and the death of comrades. For example...'' He took out a kunai, pointing it at his prisoner's head.

''Sakura, kill Gurehai or Sasuke will die!'' Kakashi commanded, and, even though he was just trying to make a point, the girl knew Sakura would probably obey if she wasn't in a daze. ''On top of having a hostage, you'll be faced with two impossible choices and and up dead.'' _So basically... death, death... death? _''Every mission is life risking.'' He abruptly stood up and put the kunai away. Sasuke stood up, as the sensei turned his back to them. 

''All the names in this stone are the names of Konoha heroes.'' He said, and Gurehai finally realized what the monument was.

''The KIA stone... Every shinobi's name killed in action is engraved in that monument, right?" She asked, not really waiting for an answer. 

''Yes. This is a memorial. My friends' names are also written here.'' At that, the Earth Style user looked down. _Your name is somewhere among the ones of Kakashi sensei's friends, isn't it, father? _''I'm giving you four another chance.'' He announced after a few seconds of thought. ''However, it'll be a tougher battle for the bells. Those who want to challenge me can eat lunch. But don't give any to Naruto. That's your punishment for breaking the rules and attempting to eat on you own. If someone lets him eat, they'll be disqualified instantly.''

With that he left, and Gurehai stared at the bento box in her lap in disdain. _He didn't say anything about Naruto being able to challenge him as well. That means, he can. If he's the only one who doesn't eat, he'll have no stamina, and drag us down. So... Kakashi-sensei is basically daring us to feed him. He wants to test our teamwork._

''Here.'' She said, holding up her chopsticks to Naruto's mouth. He, including her remaining two teammates, stared at her, shocked. ''The rice is really tasty.'' 

''Are you dumb, Gurehippo? Sensei just said you'll be disqualified if you give him food!"

''No, she's right.'' Sasuke argued, offering the blond some of his lunch too. ''If we're going to challenge him, we'll need every ounce of strength we can find.'' Hiding the fact she was surprised the Uchiha had agreed with her, the girl forced Naruto's mouth open and made him chew. The poor lad had tears running down his cheeks.

''You guys...'' He sniffed, accepting Sasuke's offer as well. When the pink haired Kunoichi held her chopsticks up for him as well, Gure thought Hell had probably frozen over. ''S-Sakura-chan..''

''Come on, eat it. I'm on a diet anyway.'' She mumbled, looking away. _Or rather, you can't bear not agreeing with Sasuke._

_''_YOU!!!" Kakashi's booming voice echoed around them, and the Jonnin was suddenly standing above them. Soraku eyed him, intimidated. ''YOU IGNORED MY ORDERS! NOW YOU-...''

''No!'' Gurehai interrupted, standing up. ''We did exactly what you wanted us to do, didn't we? In order for the four of us to take you on, we need to be at full strength. So, we had to feed Naruto!" _He's still trying to trick us. Kami, I hope I'm not wrong._ Finally realizing this, the others stood up too. 

''We are a team!" Sasuke added, and the girl looked at him, satisfied.

''The four of us, are one!'' Sakura stopped cowering in front of the frightening sensei, and Naruto shook his head violently.

''You are one, huh?" Hatake contemplated, silently judging them. His eye met Gurehai's blue ones, that were challenging him wordlessly. ''Then all of you...''

The four Genin waited anxiously, to see if their point was right. _We are one... but he could also disqualify us all as one..._

_''_PASS!" Not able to hold her smile back, the white-haired teen pumped her fist in the air. ''Up until now, no one would actually listen to what I said. A ninja must see through deception, and you did.'' The sensei stared off at the sky. ''In the shinobi world, those who break the rules are trash. But those who abandon their comrades, are even worse than trash.'' _That was really cool._

''That's it for the exercise, everyone. Team 7 starts its first mission tomorrow! You can all go home now.'' Gurehai was so happy, she tore through Naruto's restrains and helped him up.

''Do you guys fell like eating some ramen?" She asked, her suggestion met with hesitation.

''Not today. I have things to do.'' Sasuke replied, and walked off. Sakura declined as well, saying she was on a diet, as always.

''Gure-chan...'' Naruto started, and the girl's eyes narrowed. ''Did you just say...'ramen'?" He asked, his eyes gleaming. She awkwardly nodded, absolutely sure she had heard the boy's life revolved around the food. ''I LOVE YOU, GURE-CHAN!" He exclaimed, hugging her around the neck. Unsuccessfully trying to push him off, she slightly blushed when she realized Kakashi was still present.

''Not so fast, Gurehai.'' He said, making her freeze. What could he possibly want to talk to her about? She didn't do anything, did she? ''I need to talk to you for a moment. Naruto, would you be kind enough to get a head start? I'm sure Gurehai will like anything you order for her.'' The blond eagerly ran off, and the Soraku stared up at her teacher in worry.

''What did I do?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you've probably realized, 'as always' is Gurehai's catch-phrase. Also, during the Zabuza arc, Gurehai's relationship with the others will be built up, and also prepare for many memories, as her past unravels.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the chapter, your author
> 
> Elel


	3. Ramen- And A Talk

"What did I do?"

Kakashi stared at his student, hiding his amusement.

"You have two Chakra Natures that you can control already. That's impressive. That Earth Release Jutsu... I've never seen or heard of it before." He narrowed his visible eye at the girl, who was nervously listening to him.

"That's because it's mine." She admitted, hands in her pockets. "I created it, after I mastered Doton." Gurehai felt really nervous, discussing this with Kakashi. The only one who ever made her open up and talk about anything in particular, was the Hokage. 

"Oh? A Genin like you, mastered Doton? So you know more Jutsus than that, am I right?'' He inquired, his tone almost sarcastic. _Does he seriously not believe me? Oh, that's right. I made Lord Third promise me he wouldn't mention anything to anyone... But now I have to tell him._

_"My sensei was always the one to motivate me to become stronger. Without him, I don't think I'd ever find my purpose. Without him, I wouldn't have a dream. One day, you'll have a sensei too, Hai. Trust him. Trust him with anything, trust him with your life. An exceptional shinobi will never fail his mission, an exceptional man will never let his comrades down, but an exceptional captain will somehow manage both, no matter the cost.''_

''...A bunch of them, yes. Lord Third trained me.'' Her blue eyes ran over the green grass, like it was the most interesting thing in the world. ''I did say I was going to master all five Chakra Natures, didn't I? Those were the first two steps.''

''And what's the third?" He asked, satisfied with the new information. _Just as I thought. Lord Hiruzen passed his Doton knowledge to her . And I have an idea of what the third step is, _he thought, recalling her reaction to his Genjutsu.

''Raiton, she answered simply, starting to feel like she was being interrogated. ''It needs a lot of work I need to do on my own, since Lord Third doesn't possess that kind of Chakra Nature.'' _If he says he has it next, I think I'm going to scream._ Looking up at him with hopeful eyes, she was met with his back.

''You know, I could help you with that.'' He commented, his mask hiding the smile on his face when he felt her grin. ''But first, you have to tell me the extent of your Doton abilities.''

''I use E and D Rank Jutsus for defense, like the Earth Clone.'' Making a hand seal, the ground next to her rose ans swelled, slowly morphing into Gurehai. ''And I create stone armor using dirt.'' The original body shrugged off its jacket, knelled down and grabbed a handful of dirt. She rubbed some on her forearms and biceps, then spread the rest from her calves all the way up to her shorts. The dirt hardened as she molded Chakra into it, taking the form of large scales. ''Doton: Stone Bracers.''

Kakashi watched as the Earth Clone cracked and turned into a pile of dirt, and his student looked disappointed. ''You are exhausting your Chakra. In time, I'll need to test all of the team's Chakra control. Undo your Jutsus. Now, what about offense?"

''C Rank Jutsus, and a D one. The Earth Fist, Rock Spear, Earthen Rising Spears, and Stone Shuriken, respectively.'' Gurehai's hand flew up to her chest, as a sharp pain erupted from it when her armor dissolved.

''Your Chakra control needs work. But still, performing Jutsus like that takes skill. Lord Hokage found a very promising student.'' Gurehai was shocked by his praise, but focused on catching her breath. ''Now, off you go to Naruto. Eating will replenish your Chakra.''

''See you soon, sensei.''

''On a second thought, before you leave.'' He stopped her a few seconds later, when she had put on her jacket. ''Do you have any other skills I should know about?" He asked, resting his hands on his hips. The white haired girl hesitated. It wasn't perfected, and she didn't want to mess it up in front of him. 

_''One day, you'll have a sensei too, Hai. Trust him. Trust him with anything.''_

''Genjutsu. One, to be exact. Lord Third said it has much potential, but... I'm really nowhere near perfecting it.'' Last time she had tried to use it, she ended up messing her thoughts up, and traumatizing herself instead.

''That's all right. What am I your sensei for? We'll work on that together.''

''Thank you, Kakashi-sensei. Thank you for everything.''

\---- ---- ---- ----

''Gure-chan! What took you so long, ttebayo?" Naruto asked with his mouth full, when she finally got to Ichiraku Ramen. The pain in her chest had subdued to a dull aching, but it was still there. The blond had one empty bowl already in front of him, while another, steaming one, waited by his arm.

''I'm sorry, Naruto. I hope I didn't make you wait for long.'' She excused herself and sat down on a stool next to him, in front of the extra bowl of ramen. _Miso pork... is he psychic or something?_ Avoiding to mention the reason she was late, she grabbed a pair of chopsticks and dug in.

''What did Kakashi-sensei want with you anyway?" He asked, before his eyes widened, and he struggled to wipe the ramen running down his chin. ''You're not into trouble for helping me, are you?" Gurehai was a bit surprised at his concern.

''No that's not it. Besides, we all fed you back there. Sasuke and Sakura didn't get called back, did they? Don't worry.'' She chewed on some pork, pretending to not see the stare coming from her teammate. _Don't ask why, Naruto. Not yet. _''Say, Naruto.'' She turned to look at him, and noticed he was frowning. ''Uh? Why are you frowning?"

''Eh?...Ah, no, it's nothing! Just... I don't really recall hearing your voice ever before, not even in class. Why did you never speak up? Your voice is really nice...'' Gure raised an eyebrow at that, before Naruto realized what he'd said. 'No, no! I-I didn't mean it like that, Gure-chan! I-I- I mean... I LIKE SAKURA-CHAN!" He suddenly burst out, his face red like a tomato. His teammate laughed slightly.

''It's alright, Naruto. I think you have a really nice voice too.'' She stated, and he calmed down, eyes litting up. _When you aren't throwing a fit or yelling at people's ears as always, that is._ ''Anyway... what you said up on that rooftop... yesterday, in the team meeting... about your dream becoming the Hokage... was it true?"

''Of course it was! I'm going to be the best Hokage to ever live!''He pumped his fist in the air, nearly knocking his bowl down. Gurehai looked down.

''But...why? A Hokage has responsibilities, a lot of them. He has the weight of all the villagers' lives on his back, their safety, Konoha's welfare and alliances to take care of. He must be on a constant lookout for war, ready to give his life, everything. He has to make difficult decisions, even if others hate him for it.'' She looked him in the eyes, and saw the awestruck expression on his features. ''So...why?"

''I'd do anything to save my friends, you know? So doing all that, is my dream. In case you haven't noticed, everyone pretty much hates me already... So I'm going to prove myself to them.'' The Soraku's eyes widened.

_Gurehai and an older, black-haired man sat on top of the Hokage monument, gazing at the Village during sunset. The tall, muscular man had the small girl between his crossed legs, her head resting on his chest._

_''Father?" She asked, gaining his attention. ''Who were the Hokages?" She pondered, turning her head to see the part of the First's head that was visible in the limited light._

_''Ah... I was wondering when you'd ask that. Well, so far, the Hidden Leaf Village has had four of them, Lord Hashirama, Lord Tobirama, Lord Hiruzen, who is currently the Hokage, and Lord Minato, who passed away a few years ago.'' The man, Gure's father, patted the stone next to him. ''A great one, Minato Namikaze was. We are sitting on his head right now.''_

_''He passed away? You mean, he died?"_

_''Yes. He laid his life on the line, protecting you, me, and the entire Village. It was his duty as the Hokage, after all.'' He stared off into space, watching the sky turn orange and red.''_

_''But, why would he do that?" Gurehai cried, turning fully around to look at her father. ''If the duty of the Hokage is to definitely die at some point, then why become one in the first place?" The black haired ninja turned her back around, to allow her to see the sunset._

_''Everyone has to die at some point, Hai. But, there are certain people, like Lord Fourth, who would rather die early, to protect something they love. That's why he became the Hokage. To protect the Village and its people, that he held so dear, and give everyone the chance to live a long life.'' The sky was now slowly turning black, stars littering the dark blue veil. ''When I was your age, or perhaps a little older, I wanted to become the Hokage too.''_

_''Really?"_

_''Really. But then, after a lot of thought, I changed my mind. That was because I realized a Hokage has responsibilities, a lot of them. He has the weight of all the villagers' lives on his back, their safety, Konoha's welfare and alliances to take care of. He must be on a constant lookout for war, ready to give his life, everything. He has to make difficult decisions, even if others hate him for it. I wasn't looking forward to any of that. And that's how I found my real dream.''_

_''To use all five Chakra Natures!"_

_''Exactly. And I have to say, I've done a pretty good job so far. But, fire has always been a hard thing for me to grasp, you know, Hai? I hope I get it, sometime soon.'' The sky was now black. Bellow, Konoha's streets were all lighted, by both lamps and stars alike._

''Your friends don't hate you.'' Gurehai pointed out, after a short pause, letting her chopsticks fall on her bowl. _That was just a year before he... _''I don't, either.'' Naruto's head snapped up at that, mouth wide open. She reached forward and closed it, chuckling. When she pulled back, the boy gulped and gaped again. 

''You don't... hate me? Really?" He asked, eyes full of hope. The girl had never noticed how sad his blue eyes looked. She shook her head.

''No, I don't. I understand your dream now. If you remember, I have one too.'' She paused, pushing away her bowl of ramen, and looking at her teammate. ''But I didn't always have it. It was my father's.'' Catching glimpse of the shock in his face again, she handed the owner a few Ryo and stood up. The boy in the jumpsuit followed her outside. _Was_. ''Doton, Raiton, Suiton, Fuuton... Katon. Originally, it was him who wanted to master them. He's dead now, and his dream is mine.''

''I didn't know-...''

''It's okay. I know you don't have your parents, either. By the way, I'm sure Mother would like to meet you one of these days, seeing that you are my teammate. She's going to make such a big fuss about it...'' She trailed off, noticing that they had reached a crossroad, and her house was one way. ''You'll be forced to eat her creations.''

''I-I don't mind, at all!" He smiled, as if the subject of their late parents was never even brought up. With his hands behind his head, he looked so carefree.

''By the way.'' She called, before any of them could walk away. ''You shouldn't think of yourself becoming Hokage as just a dream. I think it's more of a goal, actually.'' His lips parted in surprise. ''And I know my dream is different than yours. But...'' She turned her back to him, and started to slowly walk away. ''It would be my honor to help you achieve it. See you soon, Naruto.''

''See you soon, Gure-chan.'' She heard after a while, and footfalls going the other way.

_I'm getting closer and closer to our dream, father. And I've made a friend. An incredible one._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you confused:
> 
> Doton=Earth Release  
Raiton=Lightning Release  
Suiton=Water Release  
Fuuton=Wind Release  
Katon=Fire Release
> 
> Again, I don't own any pictures. Next up is the start of their C-Rank. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, your author
> 
> Elel


	4. Dangers Of A C-Rank

''Come back safe, honey.'' Gureki kissed her daughter's forehead, and then tied her headband around it.

''I can't make any promises, mother.'' She replied, fidgeting with the strap of her blue backpack, which contained, weapons, scrolls, and a change of clothes. The limping woman supported herself with her walking stick and smiled down at her, not able to help the tear running down her cheek. 

''Soshimo would have been so proud.''She commented, making Gurehai's eyes widen. In order to avoid further emotional breakdowns, she leaped away from her mother and out of the fence. _He would?_

Reaching the gates, the girl found her entire team and the man they were supposed to escort already there. Here's what happened, in order for the Hokage to assign them an C-Rank:

After completing yet another D-Rank, team 7 reported back to the Hokage's office. There, Naruto complained they only got boring missions, in which Gure agreed. After some thought -4 seconds, really- Lord Hiruzen let them on to an C-Rank, because of which they had to guard old-drunk Tazuna, the bridge builder.

''Alright, lets go!" Naruto yelled excitedly, ten feet ahead of everyone already.

''What are you in such a big fuss about?" Sakura scrunched her face up, scooting closer to Sasuke. Gurehai stood behind Tazuna, next to Kakashi.

''Well, it's my first time to ever leave the Village.''_ Mine isn't._

''Hey, are you sure I'll be okay with this squirt?" The builder asked, pointing at the Uzumaki, who couldn't stand still. Gurehai glared slightly at him, but kept silent. Kakashi assured the client that everything was going to be alright, especially with him there, and then they set off.

As Sakura engaged Tazuna into a conversation, which led their sensei onto five minutes of explaining the Hidden Villages and their leaders, the Soraku noticed something suspicious.Tazuna, their client, visibly started to sweat at the mention of fighting in C-Rank missions. That got her thinking. _Could he possibly be lying? No, that's not right... Lord Third would never risk our lives like that._

But as they walked, the unsettling feeling of being watched wouldn't leave her. Discretely looking around, and not seeing anything, she marked the sensation as just her imagination. But then, something was heard from behind them, and the girl turned her head just in time to see her sensei wrapped in chains.

''Sensei!" Her eyes widened, and in less than a second, his body was torn apart. _No... that's not possible... he's a Jonnin... we're in a C-Rank! _Quickly snapping out of her daze, and seeing the enemies move towards the rest of her team and Tazuna, she performed the necessary hand sign, and a spear protruded from the ground next to her, reaching her height. Grabbing it and breaking it from the ground, she turned around to see the ninjas, who Sasuke had pinned to a tree, rushing towards Sakura and Tazuna, and the other towards Naruto. ''Doton: Rock Spear!"

_The mission always comes first. Protect the bridge builder. Sakura is on that. But Naruto..._ The boy stood frozen in front of the attacking shinobi, wide eyed. Something snapped inside Gurehai, seeing the enemy lunging at her friend like that. Suddenly, she stood behind him, spear quickly coming down to prevent him from clawing Naruto. Rock pierced clothes, skin and bones, and then came out from his chest, immobilizing him. 

Below them, Naruto stared with fear in his eyes, and he didn't even blink, even when a drop of blood fell from the point of the spear down his face. The kid that was previously admiring Sasuke for his immediate response to danger, was now trying to take in the fact his friend had just killed someone.

The pair didn't even notice Kakashi was alive, and holding the ninja that had gone for Tazuna and Sakura by the neck, back turned. The Uchiha and the Haruno, failed to see the position their teammates were in.

''Naruto, sorry I didn-...'' Kakashi started, turning around, but stopped when he saw his one student slowly standing up from the ground, blood on his face, and the other, frozen on her spot, holding the spear she had shoved through the enemy's back. ''...Help you right away. Gurehai?'' He finished, as Gurehai blinked. Her right eye, the covered one, stung, as if someone had poked her with a stick. She shook her head when the sensation disappeared after a couple of seconds. 

The girl ignored the wide eyes of her teammates, and pulled the spear out with a swift movement. The ninja fell down as she tossed the weapon to the side, and dissolved into a bloody pile of dirt. ''It's okay, sensei.'' She said, not so fazed anymore. ''I got him.''

''Well then, let me just say. Good job, Sasuke. You too, Sakura.'' Meanwhile, Naruto gaped as Gurehai offered a hand to help him up. _I couldn't do anything. This was our first real battle, but Sasuke and Gurehai... even Sakura-chan..._

''Oi...'' Sasuke called, looking at Naruto with a bored expression. '''Are you hurt... scaredy cat?" Naruto seethed in anger, while their white haired comrade stepped away from the corpse their sensei was picking up.

''SASUKE!!!''

''Naruto!" The sensei called, distracting the boys from each other. ''You need to clean the wound from the poison these guys had in their claws, or else it'll spread. And, Tazuna-san, we need to speak.'' When the ninjas were tied to the tree, one unconscious and the other dead, Kakashi began talking.

''These are Chunin from the Hidden Mist Village, known for continuing to battle no matter what.'' He paused and looked at his white-haired student, who looked at the two with an indifferent expression. ''I detected their presence when I saw that puddle of water. Since it hasn't rained for days, it was only natural that it was a trap.''

''But why would you let the kids fight, if you knew that?" Tazuna asked, still shaken up.

''It's simple. I could have killed these guys instantly, but first, I wanted to know who their real target was.'' Their client looked surprised... and nervous. ''Was it you, or one of us shinobi? But I got my answer. This situation is beyond the scope of our mission. You were supposed to only need backup during building the bridge, and nothing was mentioned about enemy shinobi. Or else, this would be marked a B or higher ranked mission, and we wouldn't be taking it.''

''This mission is too early for us...'' Sakura mumbled, while Gurehai argued with her in her head. _No, for me it's not. _She thought, before deciding she was being stupid. Looking down at her hand, she noticed it shaking a little. _I can still sense how the spear broke through his ribcage, the flesh... But why don't I feel anything? _''We need to turn back to the Village, and get Naruto to a doctor. Let's give it up.'' She suggested.

''Hmm... This sure is a burden... Should we head back, since someone needs to treat Naruto's wound?" He questioned, causing Naruto to grit his teeth. Then he stabbed his hand, letting the blood flow freely. Even Kakashi looked surprised at his choice of actions.

''Naruto! What are you doing?" Sakura shrieked, approaching him.

''Old man, I'll protect you with this kunai!" He claimed, turning around to look at them with a determined look on his face. ''This mission continues!"

''Naruto... that's cool and everything... but unless you patch that up, I think you're going to bleed to death.'' Gurehai calmly informed him, gesturing to his bleeding left hand. His expression immediately changed into one of fear.

''Ah!No,no,no! I don't want to die like this, Gure-chan, help me!" He shouted, and Kakashi knelt next to him.

''Come on, show me your hand.'' Bandaging it when he saw the wound was closing up, the Jonnin waved him off and stood up. ''Come on, everyone. Let's go.''

\---- ---- ---- ----

At night, the six travelers set camp on a small clearing in the forest, and, as Kakashi had the boys and Sakura prepare the meal, he sent Gurehai out to scout. The girl came back with good news, giving her report.

''No enemy presences. I've set traps all around camp, in a 20 meter radius. As long as Naruto doesn't sleep walk out of the perimeter, we'll be fine.'' Her sensei nodded in response, knowing fully well how effective her traps could be. They were the reason he originally failed her, after all.

Meanwhile, Sasuke blocked off Sakura scolding Naruto, and glared at Gurehai from afar. _How in the world does she get to scout while I was stuck here with these idiots, making rice? I thought she was as bad as Naruto... and she killed a man today. A Chunin. Could she possibly... be above me?_

''All right, everyone listen up.'' Kakashi called, gaining everyone's attention. The food had just been passed around, and Naruto had somehow managed to finish his portion up. ''Sasuke will be first watch. I'll be second, and Gurehai third. Next up is Naruto. Make sure you rest. Also, no walking around at night. Traps have been laid out for safety reasons, so stay put, unless you want to die as a shuriken target on your first mission.'' The Uzumaki opened up his mouth to speak with a frown on his face, but the Jonnin held a hand up and silenced him. ''That tree over there will suffice for your bathroom needs. Now, good night!" 

Everyone lied down and closed their eyes except from Sasuke, who rested his back against a tree. 

Two and a half hours later, just as the boy felt his eyes close, Kakashi put a hand on his shoulder and told him to go sleep. The boy complied, and lied down, a few feet away from his white haired teammate, who he couldn't tell was asleep or staring at the stars. Shaking his thoughts away, he turned his back to her, and came face to face with a drooling Naruto.

About thirty minutes later, when she assumed Sasuke was asleep, Gurehai stood up and slowly approached Kakashi, who was quietly giggling to himself, reading his favorite book under the light of his flashlight.

''Uh?'' Hatake looked up, seeing the perfectly awake face of his student. ''Gurehai? Don't tell me my watch's over already?" He whispered, but she shook her head.

''No, sensei. I just couldn't sleep.'' She informed him, sitting cross legged in front of him. ''I know I should sleep to rest and replenish my Chakra.'' She said, before he could make a comment. ''I just can't.''

''That Mist Chunin is troubling you, am I right?" The girl nodded, looking at the ground. ''First kills are always quite a shock, especially to younger ninja. But you aren't the first, and definitely not the last. You handled the situation well, saving Naruto like that.''

''That's not what I was aiming for, you know. I just wanted to drive him away from Naruto. But when I saw him about to claw his face off like that...'' She trailed off, replaying the memory in her head. ''But that's not it.''

''Do you feel bad, taking another person's life?'' Gurehai didn't respond for a second. Then, she looked up to meet his black eye.

''Quite the opposite, actually.'' She eventually said, and Kakashi's eye narrowed. ''It's that I didn't feel anything.'' Her sensei stared at her with a blank expression. ''No shock, no sadness, no remorse. Is this truly how a shinobi must live? To be merciless? Kill or be killed? I think I'm just telling myself I did it for Naruto. That way, my actions are somehow justified.''

''A shinobi must not feel. His only goal is to accomplish his mission, successfully. No matter the cost.'' Kakashi told his apprentice.

''My hand is still shaking, when I look at it, I remember the sensation. It remembers. How the rock tore through his flesh like paper. They way it broke through his bones. How his body fell limp. But I don't _feel_. Does that make me a bad person?"

''No. That makes you a step closer to becoming an exceptional shinobi.'' _An exceptional shinobi will never fail his mission. Isn't that right, father?_

''I wonder if that's what Sasuke will feel one day as well. Or, rather, what he won't.'' The Soraku said next, making Kakashi perk up. After asking her what she meant, the girl looked over her shoulder at the Uchiha's back. ''When he kills his brother. You see, I try to believe all of us will eventually reach our goals, fulfill our dreams. If that's what he wishes for, well... who am I to tell him otherwise?" The conversation stopped after that, and all that could be heard was crickets jumping around.

_How did she now it is him I want to kill? I never mentioned his name, not on that day..._ Sasuke thought, eyes wide open, recalling the day of the team meetings. _''I want to restore my clan, and kill a certain man.''_

Dawn seemed to come only minutes later, and the company was back on its way to the Land of Waves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So,the journey has began. Get ready for the battle against Zabuza! As you probably noticed, I'm going a little fast with conversations and events, and that's because I don't want to tire you. Comment for any questions, and make sure to write your opinion.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the chapter, your author 
> 
> Elel


	5. Silent Killing

''Naruto, please stop throwing your kunais around. You'll hurt a squirrel or something.'' Gurehai pleaded boringly, glancing at her friend from over her shoulder. They had just gotten off from the boat transporting them to the Land of Waves, and the boy was trying to prove his superiority over Sasuke.

''No,no, I'm serious! I'm sensing a presence over there!" He argued, throwing another kunai towards a bush. Something squealed and a thump was heard, and Naruto ran over, discovering the snow white rabbit he had almost impaled.

''Naruto! Look what you did!" Sakura rushed over, while the Uzumaki hugged the life out of the scared animal, that was about to have a heart attack.

''I'm sorry, I'm sorry bunny! I didn't mean to, I swear!" Naruto cried, when suddenly Kakashi's voice interrupted him.

''Everyone, get down!'' He shouted, and Gurehai jumped on Tazuna, tackling him. From above, a gigantic sword came for their heads, flying to a nearby try and lodging itself there. A man suddenly appeared, standing on its equally long handle. His headband, a Hidden Mist one, revealed he was a ninja.

''Well well. If it isn't for Hidden Mist's Rogue Ninja, Zabuza Momochi.'' The Leaf Jonnin commented, stopping Naruto from engaging him. ''He's on a totally different level than the guys from the other day.'' He added, and Gurehai slipped her hands inside the pouches strapped on each of her legs.

''You, Kakashi of the Sharingan... I'll have you turn over the old man.'' The stranger said, as the sensei moved his hand to his headband. _Sharingan? What does he mean? Sensei... sensei isn't an Uchiha!_

''Guys... get into Manji formation, and protect Tazuna. Don't get into this fight. It's the teamwork of this situation.'' He instructed his students, who quickly obeyed and surrounded their client, holding out kunais. When Kakashi uncovered his left eye, even with his back turned, Gure felt a chill running down her spine.

''Oh. This is the Sharingan. I feel honored to see it so soon.'' That Zabuza guy turned around, taking his opponent a little more seriously.

''Sharingan, Sharingan... what's this thing everybody's saying?" Naruto demanded, frustrated, and Gurehai glanced at him from her spot next to the bridge builder. 

''The Sharingan is a Dojutsu, a visual power. It's an ability only members of the Uchiha clan can unlock. Well, _could_.'' She explained, making Naruto look at her weirdly.

''It is said to be able to see through Genjutsu, Taijutsu and Ninjutsu, and deflect them. However, that's not its only power.'' Sasuke continued, a little lost. _He's probably wondering the same thing as me._

''You're right. The other thing it can do, is a frightening ability. The ability to copy an opponents technique.'' Zabuza added, and out of nowhere, mist filled the clearing they were standing on. _He's causing it. It's a technique to blind us. _''When I was in the Anbu Black Ops, I had information on you. The Copy ninja, the man who copied over a thousand Jutsus. But that's enough talk.''

_Sensei... sensei is that guy Zabuza'a talking about? _Gurehai stared at Kakashi, trying to comprehend the facts. _He's such an amazing ninja... wow._

''Let's end the talking here. I have to kill that old man." He drawled, and forming a seal, the mist around them grew thicker.

"He will probably come for me first. He is Zabuza Momochi, a former Anbu of the Hidden Mist and expert in the silent killing technique." Their sensei said, trying to pinpoint his location.

"Silent?" Gurehai mumbled, suddenly feeling weak and small. _That guy has both experience and the advantage of the location. I know Kakashi-sensei can handle him just fine, but what are the rest of us supposed to do? How can we protect Tazuna, when we couldn't even catch a stupid bell?_

"Exactly. As its name suggests, the user can complete it in absolute silence. By the time you realize it, you can find yourself in the after life. So be careful. I haven't mastered my Sharingan yet, so don't lower your guard.'' The Hatake instructed, and, Gurehai watched in worry as the mist grew even thicker, making it impossible to see a few feet ahead. _Shit. I can't even see Kakashi-sensei. At least I know the other three and Tazuna are next to me._

''Eight points.'' Zabuza's voice echoed all around, sending chills down her spine. ''The larynx, spine, lungs, liver, jugular and subclavian veins, the kidneys and heart. Now, which vulnerable spot should I go for?" He explained, making the Genins' blood freeze. _I hit his heart... through his lungs._

The mist suddenly disappeared all over around them, and the girl turned to see that it was Kakashi's doing. But with that, she also felt an old familiar feeling, she didn't look forward to feeling again. _Bloodlust... one of the most suffocating feelings in the world, and this isn't the first time I'm experiencing it. _She saw Sasuke pointing his kunai to his stomach, eyes wide. She put her hand on the blade and stopped it, making the boy slowly turn and look at her. _Sensei's bloodlust is too much for him._

''Don't worry Sasuke.'' Their sensei interrupted, catching glimpse of what was going on. ''I'll protect you with my life. I will not allow my comrades to get killed.'' He assured them, managing to calm his female student down, even a little. 

_''An exceptional shinobi will never fail his mission, an exceptional man will never let his comrades down, but an exceptional captain will somehow manage both, no matter the cost.''_

''It's over.'' She suddenly heard from behind her, and just as she recognized Momochi's voice, she was pushed back, and met with the image of the grey-haired Jonnin stabbing the enemy in the gut. Before relief could wash over her, Gure saw the stabbed body turn to water. _A Water Clone?_ Zabuza swung his sword at Kakashi, who also turned to water. Along with the swordsman's, her eyes widened as well. _He managed to copy it in less than seconds... my sensei is awsome._

''Don't move.'' He warned, pointing a kunai at his neck. ''It's over.''

And then Zabuza started laughing. ''I must say, you are good. You managed to copy my Jutsu, at that time. But you stand no chance.'' He stated, and dissolved into water, reappearing behind Kakashi. _Another clone? _Zabuza kicked him hard, sending him all the way into the lake. There, trying to stand up, the Jonnin realized his mistake. 

''Sensei!" Gurehai called, but was too late, as said man was suddenly trapped in the enemy's water prison. After making another clone to take care of them, the Genin had no choice but to fight. Shrugging her jacket off, and revealing her bare arms and legs, Gurehai reached into a small pouch, attached to the bigger one on her right hip, and pulled out some damp dirt, rubbing it all over her.

''You think you are ninjas, but true ninjas have hovered between life and death many times before being called that. As for me, I call worthy of being shinobi only those written on my bingo book. And you aren't.'' He disappeared in the mist and then Naruto was kicked back, staring up at him fearfully.

''Doton: Stone Bracers.'' The Soraku felt the dirt morphing and hardening against her skin, creating her reliable armor.

''Naruto!"

''You four, take Tazuna and run away! As long as he has me trapped in his Jutsu, he won't be able to move from here!'' Kakashi yelled, making Gurehai frown. _He wants us to abandon him? _

_''Hai! Get away from here, now!"_

_''But fath-...''_

_''No, I said leave! Run back to the Hidden Leaf!"_

She pulled out two kunais, and held them in front of her face. _I'm never doing that again. _Sasuke lunged forward first, throwing shuriken at him, before jumping at him with a kunai in hand. Seeing that, Gurehai also took off, aiming to get Zabuza while he was being distracted. Her plans changed though, when the man grabbed the Uchiha by the neck and tossed him back, right onto her. The two crashed on the ground, the girl catching Sasuke before his head hit the forest floor.

_I promised on the pain on my left hand. I won't loose to Sasuke, and I won't fall behind Gure-chan! _Naruto stood up as well, not listening to the cries of his sensei and Sakura. _I won't run away!_

''You, with no brows. Record on your bingo book, the man who will one day become the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf. I, Naruto Uzumaki!" He declared, tying the headband he had risked his life to take back around his head. _That's him. That's the boy I admire. That's my first friend._

''Alright. Naruto, Sasuke, come over here and lend me you ear. I have a plan.'' Gurehai called, and upon seeing her determination, the two rivals did as told. They carefully listened in on her instructions, and Sakura watched her teammates in awe.

''Alright! Let's get wild!" Naruto cheered, and the white-haired girl slipped her kunais back into her pouches, the seal she was starting to form behind her back not going unnoticed by the green eyed Kunoichi.

''Sakura. Protect Tazuna. No matter what it takes. We've got the rest covered.'' She glanced at her bully from over her left shoulder, as her right eye was covered by her hair.

''I told you to run! What are you four doing? Our mission is to protect Tazuna, have you forgotten that already?" Kakashi yelled again, making them reconsider. But, upon the bridge builder's consent, they were back in the game.

''So you still believe you are ninja.'' Zabuza drawled, looking at his hand. ''When I was your age, this hand was already stained in blood!" _Mine is as well._

''Zabuza the Demon. Long ago, when the Hidden Mist was often called the Blood Mist, young ninja had to face their biggest hurdle.'' Their sensei said.

''Oh, so you know about the graduation exam, too. The one where we had to kill each other.'' Zabuza commented as if it was nothing, giving Gurehai, and basically everyone, cold feet. ''Students that had eaten from the same pot formed teams and killed each other off. It was never over, until one of them was dead. Those partners had talked about their dreams together, and were slaughtered.''

''Ten years ago, the graduation exam underwent a drastic reform. That was when an evil demon appeared. A young boy, who had no qualification of being a ninja, killed over a hundred examinees by himself.'' _The one who did it... was him?_

_''_That sure was fun.'' The Demon said, recalling the memories. Charging at Sasuke and knocking him down, he turned around to see himself surrounded by Naruto's Shadow Clones. The clones jumped at him, armed, but he skillfully deflected all of their attacks.

''Sasuke! Catch!'' The blonde tossed something at the ravenette as agreed, who caught it and smirked. 

''Demon Wind Shuriken: Wind Mill of Shadows.'' Sakura fangirled, as he threw it with all his might towards the Water Clone.

''A shuriken won't work on me!" Zabuza braced himself for the shuriken, but was instead met with Gurehai's blue eyes right in front of his face. 

''That shuriken is not your concern!" She stated, attempting to kick his neck. The man ducked and then blocked her kunai, before forcing her hand away and sinking his sword in her abdomen. The girl halted, dropping the kunai and gripping the edges of the Throat Cleaver, eyes wide.

''Gurehai!" Kakashi yelled, as Zabuza smirked.

''Gure-chan!" ''Gure!"

Instead of leaving her last breath, though, she looked up with a smirk on her face, making the Rogue frown. In the next two seconds, the Genin in front of him had turned into a pile of dirt on his blade, and the ground behind him cracked up, as the real one jumped out and stabbed the back of his head with a kunai. ''Got you.'' Water fell on the ground, where he once stood.

''What?!"

Realizing what happened, the Zabuza that had Kakashi trapped grabbed the demon shuriken mid air, before seeing another one coming his way and widening his eyes. _A demon shuriken in the shuriken's shadow? Still... _He jumped up and dodged it, but failed to see the smirks in the three Genin's faces nonetheless. The shuriken transformed into Naruto with a puff of smoke, throwing his kunai at him.

This time, the enemy had no choice but to let go. The sensei, finally free of the water prison, stopped Zabuza from attacking Naruto. _Momochi is fucked. _''Naruto, Gurehai. Your strategy was outstanding. You've grown up, the three of you.'' He praised them, eyes never leaving his opponent.

''He,he. The purpose of my Shadow Clones was to put my transformation on the Demon Wind Shuriken, not to attack Zabuza.'' Naruto explained, happy that their plan had worked out. ''I left one clone behind, and then transformed into the shuriken.''

''In the seconds you were trapped by the clones, I created an Earth one and hid myself underground. Then, with my attack, I distracted him, and made sure the Water Clone wouldn't try to save the original from the shuriken, or its shadow.'' Gurehai went on, now standing next to Sasuke. 

''Of course, I didn't think I could defeat Zabuza. I was aiming to destroy the Water Prison! It was a huge success!"

''So you distracted me and made me break the Water Prison...''

''No, that's not it.'' Kakashi cut him off. ''You didn't break the Jutsu. They forced you to break it.'' He added, and Gurehai smirked in delight. Now that their sensei was free, Zabuza was a goner. They jumped away from each other, and started forming hand seals. They were so many, Gure got lost. She suddenly realized that her sensei was copying the Rogue.

''Naruto! Get out of the water, now!" She shouted at her friend, who was floating on the cold lake. The water started rising, as the two Jonnin exclaimed in unison. 

''Suiton: Water Dragon Jutsu!" The huge dragons that were created canceled each other out, sending waves crashing all over the field. In seconds, Gurehai and the others were soaking wet. Next up, Kakashi copied his movements. The Mist nin started loosing it.

''Suiton: Giant Vortex Jutsu!" The technique blasted Zabuza away, and on a tree. The terrain was widely affected. Trees were uprooted, dirt had turned to mud, and Gurehai found her leg feeling extremely heavy. She released the Jutsu of the Stone Bracers, which resulted to mud sliding down her limbs. The aching in her chest began.

Hearing her teammates gasp, she turned to her sensei and enemy and saw two senbons sticking out of the latter's neck. _Wha- Who did that? _She saw a figure on top of a nearby tree, wearing a mask. 

''You were right. He died.'' The newcomer said, and Kakashi flashed next to the body and checked its pulse. Narrowing her eyes, she saw her sensei confirm the masked person's statement. The pain in her chest became unbearable. She clutched it, gritting her teeth. _Not again... damn it, I should have slept last night._

Gurehai heard her team chatter, as her vision grew blurry. _Damn Chakra... I should have trained with Lord Third more... _''Hey you! What the hell are you? That guy Zabuza... he was so strong, and he was killed like that, by a kid like me?'' Naruto threw a fit, making the Soraku blink rapidly. Next to her, Sasuke noticed her condition. ''We are pathetic! I can't-I can't accept that!" 

''Well, I-stand-this... reality.'' Kakashi spoke, but the white haired Genin couldn't make out the words. ''This world-younger- stronger th... me.''

''Your battle is over now. I have to destroy his body, for it contains many secrets.'' The Hunter nin appeared next to Zabuza, taking his limp body and forming a hand seal. ''You should take care of your teammate. She doesn't look very well.'' he commented, before bowing his head. ''If you'll excuse me.'' And disappeared. Team 7 immediately turned to look at Gurehai, who was trying her best to stay standing, but failed, as her knees gave out.

''Our mission is still not over.'' Kakashi said, walking to his fallen student, who clutched her chest and breathed in and out heavily. ''We have to take Tazuna home. Now, I'll carry Gu-...'' He suddenly stopped, his eye widening, his body collapsing to the ground. Gurehai clutched her chest one last time, before falling unconscious as well.

''Gure-chan!''

''Sensei?"

''KAKASHI-SENSEI!"


	6. Recovery...Not Really- A Story

_ _

_He's not coming back, is he?" The Hokage turned at the sound of the small voice, and saw an eight year old Gurehai peeking from behind the door. He stared at the weeping woman in front of him, who nodded, and the Hokage stood up_

_''Come here, Gurehai. Let's go outside for a walk.'' He urged her, looking down. The girl nodded and put on her sandals, then opened the door for the elder man to exit first. Hiruzen stared at her in silence, noting how her yes were slightly red. ''Soshimo was killed by an organization, called the Akatsuki.'' He bluntly stated, smoking his pipe. Waiting for a reaction, he was slightly surprised when he saw none. ''Tell me, Gurehai. Do you seek revenge?"_

_She stayed silent for a few seconds, hands forming fists. The she looked up at him. ''Why would I? He is-...'' She cut herself of, sighing in defeat. ''...was a shinobi. Shinobi die. I loved him, yes. But why go after someone who is obviously stronger than me? So that I die as well? Then mother would be alone. I can't leave her alone.'' She glanced back at her house, that was starting to disappear as the walked further and further away._

_''You are wise for your age, and knowledgeable about the shinobi life. I guess you got that from your mother.'' He commented, but said nothing after that. ''How are things at the Academy going?"_

_''Boring. Father always told me stories about fights, and showed me a variety of Jutsus. In the Academy we just read, and write, and... the only thing exciting is the shuriken practice. That, and sparing. Last week, I won against all three girls I was up against, as always. But Iruka-sensei won't let me fight the boys.''_

_''Hmph.'' The Hokage mumbled._ _**She is a fighter, like her father**_._ ''Would you like to learn some Jutsus, then?"_

_''Not just some!" She suddenly grinned, coming to a halt in front of him. ''I'm going to learn all of them!" She added, making Hiruzen's eyes widen slightly. **The last person who wanted to do that...** ''Just like father, I'll achieve all five Chakra Natures! Even... even Fire.'' She went on, making the Hokage relax._

_''You should start with a Nature, then.'' He pointed out, blowing a cloud of smoke. ''Soshimo started with Earth, if I am not mistaken.''_

_''That's what I started with, too. Father taught me.'' She explained, and started forming hand seals. Ram, Hare, Boar, Dog, he recognized, and his eyebrows rose. ''Doton: Mud Wall.'' She slammed her hands on the ground, and indeed, a wall, barely four feet tall, was formed. She scratched her head when she saw it was about the same height as her. ''It still needs work, though.''_

_''Oh, that's impressive. How long have you been working on it?" He asked, genuinely curious. _

_''That's what he was showing me when they...'' She trailed off, the frown coming back to her face once again. ''So I haven't had any time to practice it.'' She excused herself, staring blankly at her creation. **That was two days ago. She remembers hand seals she saw once?**_

_''That's alright. You know, Gurehai, Doton is kind of my specialty as well.'' The Hokage retorted, trying to sound like he was randomly bringing it up. ''I could teach you, if you'd like.'' The girl's eyes widened._

_''Really?" When the man nodded, her lips broke out in a sweet smile. ''That's awsome, grampa Hokage! Ahem.'' She coughed and came down to earth, blushing slightly. ''I mean, thank you, Lord Third.'' She bowed her head, and the Hokage laughed._

_''Come to my office tomorrow afternoon, after the ceremony. We can make that wall a foot taller.''_

Gurehai opened her eyes slightly, but shut them again instantly, as they were met with blinding light. Her chest didn't hurt anymore, but her limbs felt heavy, almost impossible to move. Trying to lift her arms, she realized she was covered with a blanket. Her head was also resting on a pillow, and she was lying on her back. Blinking rapidly, she finally opened her eyelids and saw a wooden ceiling. _I'm probably in Tazuna's house._ She concluded, turning her head to the right.

''You are finally awake, Gure-chan!" Naruto yelled at her face, making her wince.

''Baka!" Sakura punched his head, sending him to the ground. ''Don't shout next to her ears!" She also yelled, making the girl want to hide under the covers.

''Good, you're awake, Gurehai. We were just talking about how Zabuza is still alive.'' The girl's eyes closed with a sigh, failing to sit up.

''What is it with ninjas being so tricky and troublesome all the time? Damn it. We'll have to fight him again and I can't even stand up.'' She complained, surprising everyone. ''Well, it figures. That hunter nin took him with him, didn't he? I was dizzy, but I managed to see that. That means they're probably allies.''

''Right. So we have to make preparations.'' Their sensei said, looking his students one by one. ''I'll assign you training.'' Gurehai's eyes widened. Oh, no. He'll train us, but I can't even move properly. Damn it, I really should have slept that night. Now I'll fall behind, and delay my goal, as always.

''But sensei, what good will training us do up against the man you had such a difficult fight with? Anyway, how can you train us in your condition?" Sakura inquired, as her female comrade finally managed to sit up.

''Yeah, yeah. What about Gure-chan? We can't train without her!" Naruto pointed out, making his friend inwardly smile. _Thank you for the support, Naruto. But I brought this to myself._ But when Kakashi spoke next, her hopes were brought up once again.

''Oh, but me and Gurehai will be just fine.'' He said, and motioned for the bridge builder's daughter to come forward. ''Tsunami-san, if you'd like to pass me that cup.'' He took the one the woman passed him, and then placed it on his student's shaky hands.

''What is this?" The Soraku scrunched up her nose, sniffing the steaming beverage.

''Something I knew would come in handy. It's tea, made from a plant that has unbelievable Chakra replenishing properties. I got the feeling I should bring it with me, and turns out, I was right.'' Kakashi explained, smiling with his eyes closed. _Don't tell me he brought it because he knew I would do something stupid like this? Kami this is embarrassing... _She took a sip but gagged, the taste awful. ''Drink it all. Then we can go to the woods to train.'' He said, and stood up, holding on to crutches.

The girl downed the cup, much to her dismay. It was bitter like grass, and made her tongue numb, like she was tasting dirt. But, after drinking it, she felt warmth flowing from her chest to her arms and feet, and every hint of pain or soreness vanished. _What in Konoha's name? _She stood up like she hadn't been unconscious for two days, and flexed her fingers.

''Let's go.''

\---- ---- ---- ----

''So, none of you can use chakra efficiently.''

''WHAT?" Naruto demanded, obviously offended by his sensei's statement.

''Listen up.'' He shot the blond a look, waiting for him to shut up. ''Combining chakra means picking up both physical and spiritual energy and combining them. Right now, you can't use it efficiently. Even if you can muster a large amount of chakra, if you don't know how to control it, both the effectiveness of the Jutsu and your stamina will decrease.'' He explained, before continuing in a serious voice. ''You need to learn how to control it within your body, and that's training you have to lay your life on the line to master!'' _Anything. I'll do anything. I can't back down on some stupid tasks..._

''So, what are we going to do?" Sakura asked, gulping.

''Huh?'' Kakashi thought about it a little. ''Tree climbing.''

''Tree climbing?" Gurehai exclaimed in unison with her teammates, frustrated. _I want to be able to perform Jutsus without fainting ten minutes later. Even if I couldn't do it on my own before, walking on trees can wait. I need... I need to... I need to trust my sensei._

''If you think that's easy, well, let me tell you.'' He cut them off. ''You won't be using your hands. Watch.'' Then he proceeded to climb a tree, with his crutches, surprising his students, but also making Gure grit her teeth. ''Focus chakra on your feet, and try sticking them on the tree.'' _Try? You, the sensei, are supposed to be teaching us how to do it!_

He threw a kunai at each of the Genin, telling them to use it to mark the spot where they can climb up to. The white haired girl took it hesitantly, and approached a tree. It was tall, and had a big and thick trunk. She gripped the kunai, and turned to look at the others. They all got a running start. Naruto didn't set his foot on it a third time, Sasuke climbed high up, in comparison to the other.

Gurehai took a deep breath and took off running, fixing her eyes on the trunk. C_hakra on the bottoms of my feet, chakra on the bottoms of my feet. It needs to be enough for my feet to stick to the bark, but not too much, or it'll break. Chakra on the bottoms of my feet... _But when she jumped on the tree, she started slipping, after five or six steps. She saw she was about to fall and stopped, trying to maintain her balance horizontally on the bark.

_I got, I got it... Just calm down... _But she started falling again, and in a desperate attempt to remain standing, she sent a big amount of chakra to her feet. The wood cracked under her, and she was pushed off almost immediately. She back flipped to the ground, cursing. Before she could get mad at herself for not marking her progress, a crack echoed through the clearing, and the spot where she had last touched with her feet caved, and the upper part of the tree detached from the lower and crumbled to the ground.

''Damn it.'' She hissed, watching it fall. Next to her, Naruto looked at her with his mouth agape. Meanwhile, Kakashi stared down at her, troubled. _This is going to be harder than I thought._ He pondered, when the other female of the group laughed in joy. 

''It looks like the one with the best chakra control is Sakura.'' He commented, catching glimpse of Gurehai moving on to another tree with her fists clenched. ''But, not only is her control perfect, but she has knowledge and stamina as well. Looks like she is closer to becoming the Hokage, unlike someone else.'' He praised, angering Naruto. ''It seems that the odds of her mastering Affinities are in her favor, too. And the Uchiha clan doesn't seem so great, after all.'' He provoked them, and Gurehai ran on the tree again.

''Shut up, sensei!" Sakura yelled, from her spot on the highest branches. _I want to prove that I'm far greater than Gurehippo, but Sasuke won't like me if he keeps saying things like that!_

This time, Gure managed to climb up 8 feet, before falling back down. She brushed the hair out of her left eye but not the right one, and tried again.

Twenty minutes later, and she had gone to 12 feet, but that was still less than Sasuke and Naruto. Sakura watched them, panting heavily. _I'm completely wasted... How can these three keep going like that?_

Three hours later, and she had reached 25 feet. Their sensei had long since left along with the pink haired girl, who was assigned to guard Tazuna at the bridge. Gurehai was finally catching up to Naruto, but the casualties were two more broken down trees.

Six hours later, and the sun was begging to set. 40 feet, and no trees lost. The Soraku had started to pant, but was happy she had found the way to fall back without splitting the woods in half. She had reached Naruto, but the Uchiha was still too far up. Getting back up, she felt a wave of nausea wash over her.

''What's wrong, Gure?" Sasuke asked sarcastically, covered in dirt and sweat. ''No more knocking down trees?" He asked, breathing in. The girl turned to look at him with a slightly annoyed expression, narrowing her eyes._ I'm never trying to save his ass again._

''Keep your opinions to yourself and respect your elders, Uchiha.'' She fired back a little harshly, and failed to see the looks of confusion her statement received. ''What?" She asked Naruto, who was also dirty.

''What do you mean by 'elders', Gure-chan?" The Uzumaki scratched his head, fortunately with the hand that he wasn't holding the kunai with.

''I am a year older than the lot of you, turning 15 in a couple of months.'' She simply replied, but didn't manage to erase the shock from their faces. ''What's up, 13-year-olds? It's not that big of a deal.'' She finished, turning away from them and making her way up the tree. _Of course they wouldn't know. Why would they? No one asks about me, and I don't talk to others about me, as always, so what did I expect? _ 41 feet.

After a while, they had to eventually go back to Tazuna's. His daughter had cooked a lot of food, but judging by the looks on the Genin's faces, it wasn't about to go to waste. The boys soon started to stuff their faces, swallowing rice like it was water.

''Man, it's been a while since we had people over for a meal like this!" Tazuna laughed.

''More, please!" The boys exclaimed, before immediately hunching over and throwing up. Sakura started yelling at them, while Gurehai looked away. That was the reason she ate slowly. From the opposite side of the table, Inari, the bridge builder's grandson played around with his food, looking miserable. She remembered him from this morning, saying that their efforts were for nothing, that ninja are nothing, that there were no heroes anymore. Upon that, she decided to do something, and the fact that he made her go into the trouble scared her.

''We need to eat, so that we can get stronger!" Naruto explained, smiling like a child.

''Well, I don't see Gurehippo scarfing down and then vomiting Tsunami-san's efforts!" Sakura yelled, making Inari raise his head. Looking at the white haired girl, who was slowly finishing up her food, he frowned.

''Gurehippo? What kind of name is that?" He asked, and the girl looked at him with a calm expression. The rest of team 7 waited for her reaction.

''My name is actually Gurehai, Inari. 'Gurehippo' is jut a nickname Sakura-san gave me, a few years back.'' She informed him like he was the only one in the room, aiming to make her teammate feel guilty. Indeed, the other Kunoichi's face fell a bit. ''Now, if you'll excuse me. I'm going to the woods.'' Naruto opened his mouth to protest, and tried to stand up, but his sensei stopped him, putting a hand in his chest.

Walking out of the house, she passed the jetty with a slow pace, but came to a halt when someone bumped on her from behind. She turned around and saw Inari, looking up at her with tears in his dark eyes. Behind him came his mother, running. She looked ready to scold her son for falling on their guest, but Gurehai gave her the most sincere smile she could muster.

''It's okay, Tsunami-san. I actually wanted to talk with Inari. He'll be with me, here on the jetty. You can go inside.'' She said, but the woman got he hidden meaning, that her son would be safe with her. _I wouldn't be surprised if Tazuna told her I killed someone protecting him._

''Why do you let her talk to you like that?" He asked, when his mother was out of sight. ''That teammate of yours. Can't you tell she's mocking you?" The kid was starting to get emotional again. _This is my chance to talk to him._

''Of course I know. For years now, actually. But, you should know Inari, that getting mad at others obviously lower than you, just because they choose to express their envy for you in such way, is not worth it. They aren't worth it.'' She said, not hiding her true feelings about Sakura. ''Now, tell me why you're crying. Surely you didn't get upset like that because of me.'' She suggested, sitting down next to him, legs dangling off the edge.

''They began talking about him. The man in the photograph.'' He cried, and she realized what a sensitive matter it was to him. _The torn one? So there was a man in it as well, but got erased. He died, perhaps? The one Tazuna mentioned as the village's hero._

''The man, was he your father?" She asked, making his teary eyes widen. ''And he died.'' She figured, but the child didn't try to correct her.''But that still doesn't explain why you hate him.''

''I-I don't...-''

''It's alright. You don't have to tell me anything. I, on the other hand, will tell you a story.'' She began, and Inari looked down on the water. ''My father is dead too.'' She admitted, and her companion gasped. ''This is something I haven't told anyone. Not even my team members, so you have to promise not to tell a soul.'' When he nodded, she stared at the calm sea. ''I was a bit older than you when it happened. The two of us were on a small trip, outside our Village. That day, he taught me my first Jutsu. But, as fate would have it, it would also be the last one.''

''I remember us on a field. It was green, and a small breeze messed my hair up. But it didn't really matter. Then, two men came. They both wore long black cloaks, with red clouds on them. I had never seen them before in my life, but father seemed to recognize them. He shouted at me and told me to run, and head back to the Village, as fast as I could. That's when I figured out they were dangerous. My father would never yell at me in such a manner, so it was probably an emergency.''

''I can also recall their faces, clearly. One was short; not really muscular. He had pale skin, like paper, and hair in the color of the deep sea. He had many scars on his forehead, tiny little things. He looked extremely pissed at his partner, the other one. He was taller than his companion, and had tan skin. His face was covered by a mask, and his head by a hood. But his eyes... oh, those yes. Hunting, they still are. A shade of green, a sickly, pale green. His voice was gruff, the crossed out symbol of his headband showed he was from a ninja village. I don't think I will ever forget them.''

''Why are you telling me this?'' Inari asked, his eyes wet.

''To show you you are not the only one suffering. My father died in order for me to not be harmed, and I think of him as a hero. What should yours be called, when he protected the entire village?" She inquired, getting him to think. ''You shouldn't be mad at him for dying.'' _But I am mad at myself, for leaving him to die._ ''You should respect him, and anyone like him. People like us, ninja.'' _Even though I can't respect myself._

''Thank you a lot, Gurehai.'' He abruptly stood up, hiding his face. ''I'm sorry about your dad.'' He said, and then sprinted back to the house. The white haired girl followed his lead and got to her feet, but turned her back to Tazuna's residence.

_''Listen carefully, Hai. What I'm about to teach you, is a highly advanced technique.'' Soshimo announced in a stern voice, but failed to hide the smile on his face as Gurehai realized he was joking. ''It's called the 'Mud Wall'.''_

_''Is it hard?" The little girl asked, with stars in her eyes._

_''It needs work.'' The man retorted, pushing his long hair out of his face. ''The hand signs are: Ram, Hare, Boar, Dog.'' He explained, forming them in the process. Slamming his hands on the ground, he yelled. ''Doton: Mud Wall!" A wall taller than the two of them combined rose up._

_''Wow!" The eight-year-old exclaimed, touching it. ''Will I be able to do that?"_

_''You will be able to do anything, Hai. Gureki and I believe in you.'' He patted her head, before stiffening. His head snapped to the side, pushing the white haired girl protectively behind him. There stood two men, watching them from not too far away. Soshimo lowered down to her eye level, gripping her shoulders. ''Hai! Get away from here, now!''_

_''But fath-...''_

_''No, I said leave! Run back to the Hidden Leaf!"_

Gurehai retreated to the woods, where she found the tree she had marked dozens of times. She pulled a kunai out of her pouch, focused chakra on her feet, breathed in, got a running start...

And climbed it to the top.


	7. Trapped And Confused

''Should I have stayed behind to watch over him?" Gurehai asked, thinking about Naruto. Last night, he and Sasuke had come back from the woods, announcing that they had made it to the top. Shortly after that, he collapsed, and he still hadn't shown any sign of waking up.

''No, he'll be just fine. Tsunami-san will take care of him.'' Kakashi replied, as they made their way across the bridge. Suddenly, Tazuna gasped.

''What's this?" He exclaimed, upon seeing his coworkers fallen on the ground, most of them unconscious. After that, mist began forming all around them, signaling the awaited return of the one and only...

''Zabuza's here.'' Gurehai stated, pulling some shuriken out, placing them between her fingers and taking her place behind Tazuna, as the rest of team 7 circled him. 

''Sorry to have kept you waiting, Kakashi.'' The Demon's voice echoed, and the Soraku held the blades close to her face. ''I see you still have those brats around. Look at that poor little thing. He's trembling.'' Next to her, Sasuke really was shaking, but Gurehai knew not to mistake his excitement for fear. In the blink of an eye, they were surrounded by the Rogue's Water clones.

''I'm trembling with excitement.'' Sasuke said, cutting through all of them. _First chance I get, I have to activate the Stone Bracers. _The Genin thought to herself, as Zabuza and his savior appeared in front of them. They kid -a boy, presumably their age- still wore a mask. _Me and Sasuke will probably have to deal with him, while sensei fights Zabuza. Sakura will have to stay behind and guard the bridge builder, since she can't fight either of them._

''Oh, he can see through the Water clones. It seems that you have a rival, Haku.'' The enemy commented, and his companion agreed.

''I'll fight him. I hate brats who think they are cool like that.'' Sasuke said, and Sakura stared at him lovingly. His other teammate, though, seemed to have objections. 

''Don't be hasty, Sasuke. You don't honestly believe you can take him out on your own, do you?" Gurehai spoke lowly, so that only her team and Tazuna could hear. ''We have to do this together.'' The Uchiha glared at her.

''Gurehippo! Stop holding Sasuke-kun back! We all know you can't keep up with him.'' The pink haired girl claimed, but she ignored her. _That's right. I only told Kakashi-sensei that I managed to reach the top of the trees before the boys._

''Listen to me! That boy is extremely fast, judging from the way he disappeared the day Zabuza was 'killed'. We don't know if you can counter his speed, though. You need me to back you up. Even though he is a fake Mist Hunter nin, he still is from the Hidden Mist, like Momochi. That means he probably uses Suiton, and so, I can overpower him with my Nature.'' She explained, stepping forward to stand next to him.

''If that's what you really believe, then you are probably as stupid as I originally thought. Your chakra Affinity is Earth. It may be strong against Water, but in this battle field, the only thing it would accomplish would be mud everywhere, slowing us down.'' He retorted, glaring at her with the corner of his eye. She glanced at him, and put the shuriken she was holding back in their place.

''I wasn't talking about my Earth Release.'' She simply answered, reaching both hands into her pouches. The two Genin looked at her in shock and confusion, as she pulled out two kunais, and twirled them around her fingers. When she stopped and gripped their handle, the blades were enfolded in lightning. ''Doton is only one of them.''

_R-Raiton? _Sakura's eyes widened, as she was staring the turned backs of her teammates. The boy, an Uchiha, considered the most skilled one on the group. The girl, a nobody, with knowledge not even near her own, but using two Natures, and having killed a man. _But she couldn't even catch up to Naruto during tree climbing... what... what have I been doing? Can I- can I even compare to her?_

Sasuke seemed to hide his shock well, as the masked kid fast approached him. Blades clashed, and Gurehai saw the enemy was using senbons again. _He is fast, like I predicted. That idiot, he didn't listen to me. He's underestimating me, as always._

''Sakura, protect Tazuna. Don't move away from me and Gurehai!'' Kakashi ordered, and the girl did as told me. ''Gurehai, don't engage Sasuke's fight. He has to battle on his own.'' The white haired Kunoichi glanced at him, ready to disagree. ''I might need your help with Zabuza, after all.''He added, and she looked taken aback. _He wants my help? _

The two boys were face to face, when Sasuke's opponent started forming hand seals... with only one of his hands. _How is this even possible? This is worse than I imagined. __Can he even come out alive? _But the needles that were produced by the scattered water didn't hit the Uchiha. He jumped up and avoided them, before kicking the kid to the ground, near Zabuza's feet.

''To think that Haku would loose in speed...'' The Rogue stared at Sasuke, and Kakashi smiled.

''And you were mocking our team, calling them brats... I'll have you know, that Sasuke is Konoha's number one Rookie.'' Their sensei told Zabuza, internally smirking. ''Sakura is our sharpest...'' He added, and then turned to Gurehai. ''... And Gurehai is the most promising Kunoichi I've ever met.'' The girl's eyes widened, but she smiled at Kakashi nonetheless. ''As for the last one... he's the number one hyperactive knucklehead ninja, Naruto Uzumaki!" 

But Zabuza didn't seem to care about the last statement. He was instead staring at the Soraku, like he had seen a ghost. ''What did you say? 'Gure'-hai?" Wide-eyed, he looked at her up and down. ''You're from the Aoyo clan, girl?"

''What is he saying, Kakashi-sensei? Her last name is 'Soraku'. Isn't it?" Sakura frowned, as her female teammate looked at the ground, her jaw slack. _I shouldn't have said that. _Kakashi growled under his breath.

''My mother hails from that clan.'' Gurehai spoke up, pointing her kunai at the rogue, as Haku started to get back up. ''What is it to you?'' She harshly asked, uncomfortable by where the conversation was heading.

''The Aoyo clan not only is from Sunagakure, but is also nearly extinct. The only two survivors are said to be males, both of whom are to young to have a daughter your age. Which begs the question: How is it that you are a Konohagakure Ninja, or even exist in the first place? Your eyes may be blue, just like the clan's symbol, and your name may be 'Gure', but the fact you have a mother contradicts everything. The last Aoyo female, the fierce Tiger of the Blue Sun, who had the honor of being written in my Bingo book, passed away almost sixteen years ago!"

_What is he saying?How does he know so much about mother's clan? And why is he even worried? They were a clan of commoners... mother and father would never lie to me, they wouldn't... never like that..._

''Enough!" She snapped, gaining everyone's attention. ''I don't care about what you say, what you know, or what you think you know. You are here to kill this man, and he is under my protection.'' She pointed at Tazuna, who looked something between amused and terrified. ''Me and my team can't let you get away...''

She threw the kunais high in the air, and as fast as lightning, shrugged off her cloak. She dug her hand in the smaller pouch in her leg, and rubbed its contents on her bare limbs. As always, the dirt molded with her chakra hardened against her skin. The two kunais came crashing down, and she caught them, as her armor attained its scale-like pattern. Lightning erupted from the blades. ''...we won't. Doton: Stone Bracers!"

''An impressive youth. Maybe I should take care of you myself.'' Zabuza laughed, grabbing his Throat Cleaver. ''Haku, you know what to do.'' With that, his younger companion, performed a hand seal, and ice surrounded Sasuke, forming what seemed to be mirrors. Kakashi rushed forward, but Zabuza appeared in front of him.

''I'm your opponent, aren't I? Anyway, since that Jutsu has appeared, he's done for.'' He stated, and the bridge echoed with Sasuke's screams. Before she could take in what was happening, Gurehai saw Sakura pass her, throwing a kunai at Sasuke. It was caught by Haku.

Then, a shuriken flew through the air, knocking the masked boy down. With a puff of smoke, Gurehai turned around to see Naruto, posing. _That idiot... Does he have any idea how much more useful he would be if he hadn't announced his presence like that?_

''Naruto Uzumaki, is finally here!"

''You idiot! You could have caught them off guard!" The girl shouted, making Naruto shrink back.

''But heroes always come during moments like that, and take out the enemy in no time!" He argued, bringing his hands up to his chest. ''Anyway, it's time to fight! Shadow Clone Ju-...'' Zabuza threw shuriken at him, but two pairs of senbons collided with them, and fell to the ground. _Why would Haku do this?_

''Baka! What were you thinking, casting a Jutsu in front of the enemy like that? Ninjas are supposed to use the element of surprise, and deceive their enemies. Coming out like that, you just made your self a target!'' Kakashi scolded, and his student's face fell.

''What's the idea, Haku? You want to fight him your way? That's naive of you, but that means no interfering, right?" The Rogue questioned, and Haku lowered his head in shame.

''Well, I don't care, cause I'll take you out first!" Naruto announced, pointing his hand at the boy.

''Don't get any ideas.'' Zabuza warned, when Kakashi looked like he was about to make a move. ''You know what will happen to that old man if you move, right?" The sensei halted. _He's right. _He thought, glancing back at the bridge builder, Sakura, and lastly Gurehai. _There's no way Sakura can protect Tazuna on her own, and if Gurehai goes, then I will have no back up against Zabuza. This is embarrassing, but in my condition, I don't think I can fight him at full power._

_This situation is really bad. _Gurehai contemplated. _Sasuke is trapped, Naruto is dragged into a fight with Haku, Tazuna needs protection Sakura can't provide, and something tells me sensei can't handle Zabuza on his own. What am I going to do? _She bit her lip, helplessly watching as the boy stepped into the mirrors and attacked Sasuke again. But then...

Naruto jumped in the ice prison, next to his comrade. _Is he seriously that daft? That idiot... They should be launching attacks from both the inside and outside! Now there's only one thing left to do... But how can I attack with Raiton, when I only know how to pass chakra through the blades?_

Kakashi stared at his two trapped students, and cursed when he saw that Sasuke's Fireball Jutsu didn't melt the ice. _Shit... Fire can't destroy them, at least not on that level, and I can't attack... There's only one thing left to do... ''_Gurehai!'' He called, just as the girl was about to rush to the mirrors. Her head snapped to his direction, surprised. ''Ox, Hare, Monkey! Release the Stone Bracers, and focus all your lightning chakra on your right hand!" _Lord Third, I'm trusting your words._

_''Come in, Kakashi.'' Hiruzen Sarutobi called, and the grey haired Jonnin stepped into his office. ''We need to talk about your new team. And more specifically, Gurehai.''_

_''The daughter of Soshimo Soraku.'' He stated, and the Hokage nodded slowly. ''She is an interesting individual.'' He commented, recalling the information she gave him and the others earlier that day. ''I heard that while Sasuke was the top Rookie, she graduated as the one with the best fighting skills. She barely managed with written tests, though.''_

_''That's right. Throughout her years in the Academy, she hadn't shown any signs of being anything different from average. You must know, that that is not true.'' Hiruzen went on, smoking his pipe. ''She is, believe it or not, a genius.''_

_''What do you mean, Lord Third?"_

_''The day of Soshimo's funeral, I took her out on a walk, and talked to her about his death. Can you imagine what she told me?" He asked and stood up from his seat, but didn't wait for an answer. ''She said that right before the Akatsuki found them, Soshimo showed her the Mud Wall. When I asked her if she'd like to learn Jutsus like him, she said she already knew one. And she performed the Doryuuheki.''_

_''But that's...'' Kakashi trailed off, his visible eye wide._

_''Incredible? Yes. An E-Rank Mud Wall is supposed to be 5 feet tall and 5 feet wide, and hers was four.'' At that, the Jonnin gasped. ''She remembered hand signs she had seen once two days ago, and activated the Jutsu without being told how to mold the chakra. That's why I took her under my wing.''_

_''You have been training her, Lord Third?" The Hatake asked, more than surprised that the Hokage had trained someone rather than the Legendary Sannin._

_''I did it for her father as well.'' He admitted, staring outside the window._

_ **Hand signs she had seen once two days ago...** _

_Don't let me down, Gurehai. _Kakashi recalled his encounter with the Hokage, ready to stop Zabuza, in case he tried to get in her way. Luckily, the girl seemed to realize why he was telling her this, and let the rock around her arms and legs fade into dust. Performing the signs, and gritting her teeth, Gurehai grasped her right hand.

Sparks started appearing in her outstretched palm. The sparks turned to little bolts, and the bolts to waves. A thousand birds chirped in everyone's ears, as the girl thrusted her hand into one of the mirrors.


	8. Mission Accomplished

Sparks started appearing in her outstretched palm. The sparks turned to little bolts, and the bolts to waves. A thousand birds chirped in everyone's ears, as the girl thrusted her hand into one of the mirrors.

Lightning collided with ice, and Kakashi held his breath. A crack was heard, the lightning disappeared, and Gurehai raised her burnt hand to block Zabuza's Throat Cleaver.

''What?!" The leader of team 7 gasped, and saw the man in front of him smirk. The ice mirror Gurehai had attacked was cracked severely, but upon her struggle with the Water Clone, it seemed to heal itself. ''That's... the Kekkei Genkai!"

''The Kekkei Genkai?" Sakura asked, looking from the sensei to her teammate, the dome of ice and Zabuza.

''It's the same as my Sharingan. I can't copy it, and it can't be destroyed, either.'' He explained, as the Soraku managed to throw the clone off her and stab him. She jumped back behind Sakura, clutching her right hand and breathing heavily.

_That Jutsu... it was so strong... my skin has peeled off! _Gurehai looked down, able to see the raw flesh below her skin. _And it couldn't even break one of them... If what sensei says is true, then there's little hope for these two... I can't help them anymore..._ She felt her hand burning, and the pain in her chest didn't help the situation either. _It used up so much chakra, I don't think I can activate any other Jutsus._

''Sasuke-kun! Naruto! Don't loose to a guy like that!" Sakura yelled loud enough for the boys to hear, but her sensei stopped her.

''Don't encourage them like that, Sakura. Even if they managed to destroy the Jutsu, they wouldn't be able to defeat that boy.'' Kakashi said, glancing at the two girls, and, in particular, the older one's injured arm. ''They don't have the mentality to kill someone like that!"

''But Gure-...''

''Gurehai did that under different conditions, she may even have done that on impulse. They can't kill off their emotions and kill him, and he knows that. He knows what being a shinobi means, while Sasuke and Naruto don't.''

The white haired girl struggled to keep herself awake. _That technique took a huge toll on my chakra reserves, and I don't think I can move my right hand below the elbow... Now I can neither help sensei, nor protect Tazuna properly... Shit... how did we end up like this?_

Zabuza started explaining about Haku's training and mindset, how he could kill with no remorse. _Is that what I'll become? A mindless machine? _She stood up, wobbling. Haku began attacking the boys with senbons again. _But if he wants to kill them, why is he randomly attacking, and not aiming for the vital points? If he's like Zabuza describes him, then he should have no trouble aiming for the larynx, spine, lungs, liver, the jugular or subclavian veins? And the kidneys? What was the last one?... That's right... the heart..._

Gurehai heard Sakura gasp and turned to her, and where she was looking. She saw Zabuza stab Kakashi's right hand, that was just over his eye. _He wants to activate his Sharingan... I have to help him._

_Damn it... It's been a while since I've fought in such conditions... I have to think, what will he go after first? _Kakashi thought, when Zabuza activated the Hidden Mist Jutsu. The enemy had rendered his Sharingan useless, and since he was a genius in silent killing, he didn't have to use his eyes to track his victims. Upon that, his eyes widened.

The Rogue had just appeared behind Tazuna, ready to strike, when Sakura turned her head and saw him. Before anyone could react, Momochi brought down his sword, to kill the bridge builder. But the Throat Cleaver buried itself in something else, and the Haruno's scream filled the air.

Tazuna stared in shock in front of him, where Gurehai had jumped, resulting to the blade to slash through her entire chest. Her burnt hand was gripping the metal in a familiar way, just like that time mere days ago. But just like that time, her body turned into dust and dirt as well.

Zabuza jumped back in surprise, and was met by Kakashi's kunais. He deflected them and then hid in the thick mist, vanishing from sight.

The Hatake approached his team and looked down, to the pile of dirt that used to be Gurehai's Earth clone. _She created a clone to distract Zabuza and protect Tazuna, giving me a chance to attack... but where is the real one? _He looked around and spotted a figure laying on the spot she had previously landed, and rushed over. He saw her lying on her back, with her injured arm over her chest, and blood running down her torso, oozing from the wounds on her palm and fingers.

''Gurehai!" He knelt down next to her, and her eyes narrowed and focused on him. She drew in a shaky breath. ''Hang in there!''

''It's okay, sensei. I don't suppose you have any more of that tea on you, huh?" She coughed, wincing. She clutched her hand closer to her chest. ''That was a really cool Jutsu you taught me back there. I wish... I wish I had more time to practice it... What's it called?"

''Chidori... It's name is Chidori! But you'll have plenty of time to practice it, once this mission is over!" He said, loosing his calm by the second. ''It'll be the third step. And then we can move on to Suiton, and I'll teach all of you how to walk on water! Just don't talk, and hang in there!"

''I'm such an idiot, as always... I promised myself... I promised mother... I promised Lord Third that I would attain all five Natures... But now I'm dying of stupid chakra depletion, and I don't even feel my hand...''

''That was my fault.'' He watched as her eyes slowly closed. _What were you thinking? _He screamed at himself. _Just telling her how to perform it, and expecting that much of her?! What were you thinking? _''I shouldn't have told you to do that. And if you don't want to train with me anymore, that's fine, really! Lord Hiruzen will-...'' His voice cracked, as she coughed once more.

_Obito, Rin, sensei... I'm loosing her too..._

''Damn chakra... Failing me, as always.'' She growled, as the pain in her chest became unbearable. ''I should have trained... with Lord Third... more...'' And her head fell back on the cement.

''GUREHAI!"

\---- ---- ---- ---- 

_''Doton: Rock Spear!" The duo exclaimed in unison, breaking the poles off the ground. Blue met brown, and their weapons clashed._

_''Your Rock Spear is sturdier than ever, Gurehai.'' Hiruzen Sarutobi commented, pushing forward with his own, as the girl in front of him pushed back with equal strength. ''I think it's time to move on to the next level.''_

_''No, not yet!" She pleaded, jumping away from him. ''Doton: Earthen Rising Spears!" She announced, and the Hokage jumped in the air, as long spikes broke the surface of the training ground beneath his feet. He twirled his spear around his hands violently and then sent it barreling to he ground, breaking in half his student's new creations. ''See? They're still weak. No way the Stone Spike Prison can hold anyone rather than a toddler if the Rising Spears can break that easily.''_

_''Gurehai, the Rock Sear I created was an A-Rank.'' He told her, and her mouth fell open. He laughed, nonetheless. ''You are really serious about this, aren't you?"_

_''I am.'' She said, letting her weapon dissolve into dust. ''I must, because I will attain them all... Without fail.''_

_\----_

_''Gurehai!'' Gureki called, seeing the girl about to exit the house. Supporting herself with her walking stick, she neared the front door. ''Come and sit for a minute. I need to talk to you.'' She said, and the 11 year-old complied._

_''Is this about the gash on my leg yesterday?" She asked, avoiding her mother's blue eyes. The woman's eyes narrowed in a playful manner, but she didn't interrupt her. ''I just tripped... and fell... holding some Stone Shuriken...''_

_''What gash on your leg?" She raised an eyebrow, and the girl's head snapped up. _

_''What-You didn't... Bu-...''_

_''I wanted to talk to you about my night shifts this weekend. Do you think you can stay on your own for a couple of days? I'll sleep on the hospital, so you'll have to cook for yourself tomorrow.'' She explained, and Gurehai's face visibly relaxed._

_''That's-that's fine! I don't mind.'' She stated, relieved that her mother didn't question her injuries. ''I can make something easy when I get back from training, like soup... Or some ramen._

_''Training again, huh?" Gureki smiled at Gurehai, as she stood up._

_''Yes! Me and Lord Third are working on my new Jutsu these days! And in the end, when I have all chakra Natures, I'll show you all my creations!" She practically ran to the door, and gave the woman a last smile before she closed it behind her._

_\----_

_''No, I said leave! Run back to the Hidden Leaf!"_

_And she ran._

_She dashed away from the scene, jumping clumsily from tree to tree, not caring about the branches that were hitting her in the face. After she almost tripped and fell down twenty five feet, after the seconds felt like centuries, she heard it. She heard her father's scream._

_She almost stopped. She almost fell. She almost turned around. She almost disobeyed his words. She almost cried._

_ **He told you run back, Gurehai. Yes, run back, and bring help. That way you can help him, and when everything is over, you will show him you Mud Wall, and he will smile, he will encourage you to make it taller, stronger, and he will tell you that he's proud of you, and he...** _

_ **He will tell you he loves you.** _

_ **And you will say it back. You'll say that he's the best father in the world, taking on both of those bad guys on his own and coming back alive. You'll tell him you will one day become like him, a powerful ninja, that you will achieve all of the chakra Natures, just like he wants to, that you will do it...** _

_ **That you will do it for him. No matter what it takes.** _

_\---- ---- ---- ----_

She blinked, trying to adjust to the sunlight. The first thing she saw, was grey hair. Then, a green flak jacket, and trees. She fully opened her eyes, and saw Naruto, walking a little further from her. But she was looking down at him. Why was she looking down at him that much?

A few seconds passed, and she realized she was moving. Moving, but not walking. There was green all around. But how? The Land of Waves didn't have any green. _I'm alive. I'm alive, and we're heading back. The mission... the boys... are they safe?_

When she tried to talk, the only thing that came out was a choking sound. Fortunately, Naruto noticed, and a grin broke out on his lips.

"Gure-chan, you're awake!" He yelled, gaining everyone's attention. The girl felt the moving stop, and suddenly two more faces appeared next to the blond Genin. One was Sakura, and the other Sasuke. _He came out alive, after all... that means Zabuza and Haku are dead._

''Are they dead?" She asked, attempting to rub her eyes, but realizing she couldn't. She stretched her neck a little, and saw her right hand wrapped in a lot of bandages, and in a small cast. _That'right... the Chidori._

''What are you talking about, Gure-chan?" The Uzumaki scratched his chin, narrowing his eyes at her.

''Haku... Zabuza... is the mission over?" She managed to say, clearing her throat. _How many days was I out, without water? _''Is Tazuna safe?'' Next, her eyes widened slightly, remembering the pleas of her sensei. ''Where is Kakashi-sensei?''

''I'm right here, Gurehai.'' A voice near her answered, and putting two and two together, the grey hair seemed to fit in. ''Good thing that you're finally awake.''

''You've been out for three days, Gurehippo. We thought you'd stay comatose forever.'' Sakura crossed her arms over her chest, turning her head away. The pout in her face, showing her worry, was more than evident. 

''You've been carrying me like that... for three days?" The white haired girl questioned, when the Jonnin set her down. It didn't take much thought to figure out he had been carrying on his back.

''No, just for a few hours. After the battle, in which Zabuza and Haku died, we stayed at Tazuna's for a couple of days. When you didn't show any signs of waking up, and we had to turn back to the Village, I improvised.'' He gave her a close-eyes smile, scratching the back of his head. _It was the least I could offer, after what I did. _''You weren't heavy at all, don't worry.''

''I'm glad the mission was successful.'' She said, looking at her bandaged hand. ''How serious is it?''

''Nothing vital. Once we get you to your mother, it'll be as if you were never injured in the first place!" Kakashi assured her, but panicking on the inside. _I don't want to be in front of Gureki-san when she sees that. _''She is one of our best healers, after all.''

''I can walk on my own now sensei, thank you.'' She stood up, and noticed she was wearing her jacket. Looking around again, she saw Sakura still staring everywhere but her, with a blush on her cheeks. She inwardly frowned. _I find no reason for her to pick it up in the first place, but... better not push my luck any further. _

''Well, now that the mission is accomplished, we have to return and give our report.'' The sensei announced, as Naruto passed Gurehai her backpack. ''Team 7, heading off!"


	9. Our Clan

Of course, Gurehai didn't tell her mother that during her mission, she almost died of chakra depletion-twice. But even without that, Gureki almost fainted when she saw the condition of her daughter's hand. She unwrapped the bandages quickly, and took a long hard look.

''Do I want to know how you managed to do that?" She asked, examining the burn marks and the patches of peeled off skin across her fingers and forearm.

''A Raiton Jutsu.'' She replied, not looking the woman in the eyes. The healer took the girl's hand in her own and placed her other over it, starting to heal the wounds. She knew how fixated she was on the five chakra Natures. Thinking back, this injury wasn't the worst the white haired girl had come back home with.

A few seconds passed, and Gurehai watched the green chakra closing up her wounds. _I will never manage t do that. The control mother has... I will never attain it. _Stealing glances at Gureki, she thought about Zabuza's words. _Can they be true?_

_''The Aoyo clan not only is from Sunagakure, but is also nearly extinct. The only two survivors are said to be males, both of whom are to young to have a daughter your age. Which begs the question: How is it that you are a Konohagakure Ninja, or even exist in the first place? Your eyes may be blue, just like the clan's symbol, and your name may be 'Gure', but the fact you have a mother contradicts everything. The last Aoyo female, the fierce Tiger of the Blue Sun, who had the honor of being written in my Bingo book, passed away almost fifteen years ago!"_

''Mother?" She spoke up, deciding to take her chances. ''While on the mission, we came across a man... a ninja, actually... and he... said some things about your clan.'' She hesitantly continued, and Gureki's eyes widened, even though not visible, due to her lowered head.

''Oh? The Aoyo clan?'' She faked surprise, not looking up to meet her eyes, but keeping on healing her hand.

''Yeah, but... I don't know if they are true. He spoke of some of them as shibobi, but, from what you've told me, they were just commoners.'' She explained, and the older woman inaudibly sighed. ''He also...'' She trailed off, her voice unusually small.

''What is it, honey?" Gureki now looked at her, worried.

''He said that the last Aoyo female died sixteen years ago.. but that can't be right... you are alive, and I'm fourteen.'' She said, sighing. ''You know what? Never mind. Forget that I said anything.'' She eventually shook her head.

''No it's alright. It's about time I told you about our clan, anyway.'' With that, the girl's head snapped up.

''But... you said they were commoners! Why would you and father lie?" She asked, her voice rising slightly. The black haired woman smiled.

''As you're about to find out, we did it because we didn't want to make you sad. You see, I'm one of the last three remaining members of the clan to be alive.'' She admitted, making Gurehai's eyes widen. ''You're probably wondering why that man said our last female died all those years ago. Truth is, a great woman did die around that time. Her name was Guretora Aoyo, and she was a dear friend of mine.'' Gureki's face fell. ''But first, I have to explain something else. Do you know how I lost my leg, Gurehai?"

The Soraku glanced down at her mother's missing leg, her left one. ''Not really. You once told me you lost it on a mission. That, and that you have a prosthetic for it.''

''Exactly. It all goes back when I was seventeen, when me and Soshimo first met.'' She smiled to herself. ''I lived in Suna, just like the rest of the Aoyo clan. I had the honor of being the student of the great Lady Chiyo, advisor of the Kazekage himself.''

''The famous puppeteer? I remeber you telling me abut her when I was little.''

''Yes, that Chiyo. A famous puppeteer, poisons expert, healer and terrible joke-teller.'' She laughed. Some of the scratches had started to disappear. ''I trained under her for five years, but I didn't become a puppeteer myself. I wasn't made for it, you could say.'' She turned the girl's hand around. ''We weren't that big of a clan, but I did have some really distant cousins, whose names I don't even remember. Guretora, the best and probably only Kunoichi our clan had seen in a very long time, was a cousin of mine as well.''

''The members had two really distinctive features; Our black hair, and blue eyes. Just like our symbol, the blue sun.'' She said, pointing to the small symbol on the back of a robe hanging nearby.

''That man called Guretora 'the fierce tiger of the Blue Sun'. All members had a name starting with 'Gure', and then a second word, representing them, right?" Gurehai inquired, and the woman nodded.

''Exactly. 'Ki' means energy. I was a really loud baby.'' She laughed, and caressed Gurehai's hair. ''When you were born, your hair was a beautiful ashen color, that turned white as you grew up. And since 'Hai' means ash, we thought it was a fitting name as well.''

''Guretora had a very peculiar birth mark. It was the fangs and face of a roaring tiger, right on her hip. It couldn't have been more accurate. She grew up to be an amazing Kunoichi, and even though our age gap, I looked up to her as a sister. I also became a healer because of her. Who was going to treat her wounds every time she came back from missions, anyway?"

''Now, what was I saying? That's right. When I was seventeen, and I had just become a Chunin, when a dispute tore our clan apart. Members turned against each other, and in the end, very few of us were left. Guretora, me, and my mother Guretori, took refuge into an underground cave. On one of the days of our hiding, the others found us, and attacked.'' Her blue eyes were clouded. ''During the battle, I lost almost everything. I lost my mother, my leg, two cousins and an uncle. I almost lost Guretora too. She was wounded heavily, when all three of our enemies attacked. Just in time, two Konohagakure ninja came to our rescue. One of them, was Soshimo.'' A smile appeared in her face, but disappeared instantly, as she recalled the memory.

_''Thank you, dear.'' An old woman bowed her head slightly, as a 17 year-old Gureki passed her a cup of tea. The lights were dim in the cave, and the walls had a red tint on them._

_''There's a sand storm outside.'' A different voice announced, and a woman appeared on the other side of the room. ''I can't go out to get supplies today.'' She pulled her hood down, and revealed a set of icy blue eyes and long wavy locks, some tied back. _

_''There's always a sand storm outside.'' Gureki commented, filling a cup for the new comer as well. ''We're running low on food pills, and more importantly, water. I don't think mother can go on like this for long.'' Just like she had said, the elder woman sat with her back on the wall, eyes closed, cheeks thin, and wrinkles one her once stoic face. Nobody could have ever guessed she was only forty._

_''I can't risk leaving and coming across the others on my way to Suna. Even more so, leaving you two alone and them finding you.'' She sipped her drink, savoring its taste. Suddenly, she dropped the cup on the ground, and threw her long cloak off her shoulders. ''Quick, hide Guretori-san! They're here!" She whispered hastily, drawing her twin katanas from her back._

_''Will you use...''_

_''No, I can't. I may hurt you in the process.'' Guretora's face softened, before running towards the entrance of the cave. As the young healer did as told, sounds of metal clashing and grunts filled the air. She heard a male scream and blood splutter, and then her friend appeared again. _

_She had a cut on her face and she was battling two more men at once, deflecting their swords. She pushed them back and threw the katana she had left on the air. Taking a few shuriken between her fingers, she blew on them. _

_''Fuuton: Vacuum Blades!" They flew in terrifying speed towards the men, and pierced one completely through. The other used the body of his partner as cover, and before Gureki could realize what was happening, she was thrown on the wall, and her uncle was in front of her, sword raised. Her eyes widened, and she shut her eyes closed._

_The sound of the weapon coming down was heard, but was then replaced by two simultaneous thumps. Looking back up, the Chunin saw Guretora towering over her, with the edge of a sword protruding from her back. A small gasp left the younger Aoyo's lips, as she saw that her friend had jumped in front of her, stabbing the man with her own sword._

_''Your own... father?" The man spat out blood, slowly raising his head to look at his offspring._

_''You are not my father.'' Guretora viciously stated, twisting her katana and bringing it up, cutting though his flesh from the chest to the shoulder like paper. ''I killed him as well.'' She pulled the blade out, and his body dropped to the ground next to her. She then proceeded to take out the sword in her chest, but Gueki beat her to it. No one saw the third man, their cousin, stumble in the scene and raise his weapon above their heads._

_A grunt was heard, following the sharp sound of a kunai flying. The attacker fell down on top of his relative, and two shadows appeared on the entrance of the cave._

''That's how you met? He literally arrived late in the scene and saved your life?" A curious Gurehai shook her head, remembering Naruto's claim about heroes.

''Yes, he saved me. But Guretora was fatally wounded, and died a few painful weeks later. I mourned deeply for her. With her gone, I had no family member to rely on. Lady Chiyo gave me the prosthetic you seem from time to time as a gift. I haven't see or heard of her ever since. In the end, Soshimo and I got married, and I came here in the Hidden Leaf.''

''But what about the last two? Where are they now?"

''Those distant relatives of mine were only a little older than toddlers when all this took place. I learned that they were alive three years later, a while after you were born. I don't even remember their names. Gurehachi and Gureshai? I can't quite put my finger on it.'' The only thing left of her burns were small red patches on her skin.

_I don't really blame her for not telling me anything, after all. _The Genin thought, staring at her completely healed hand. _I would have never imagined something like that had happened, or I wouldn't have asked in the first place. Now she looks sad._

''Well, thank you mother. About my hand, and about the story. Guretora sounds like quite the fighter.'' She added, standing up. ''I think I will head out now. I have to work on the new Jutsu, with or without Kakashi-sensei.''

''Should I expect you to come back in the same condition?" The healer raised an eyebrow, but not holding her back. 

''Definitely.'' The white haired girl sighed, and exited the house. 

_Guretora was quite the fighter indeed, _Gureki smiled, using her walking stick to stand up. Staring at the blue sun on the back of the robe one last time, she headed for the kitchen. _Just like you are now._


	10. The Chunin Exams

Today, team 7 had a meeting in their usual spot, on the bridge, at 10. Knowing that their sensei was going to be at least two hours late, Gurehai left her house at nine and went to the woods, just like she had done every morning the last couple of days. 

Finding the small, hidden clearing she had discovered, she looked around at all of the damaged and broken down trees. _Let's hope that I can get it right before I demolish the entire forest. _Ox, Hare, Monkey.

''Chidori!" She held her hand, where lightning danced around in amazing speed. The technique had earned its name righteously, and a smile never failed to find its way to her lips every time the Jutsu was activated. After six days, she had become able to perform it without her hand getting burnt, and she was extremely proud of herself, especially since Kakashi hadn't helped her at all.

_Now, for attack. _She took a running start and then jumped, bringing her right arm back. When inches away from the tree, she thrusted it forward, splitting the wood in half. When the electricity faded away, she saw that her hand had completely penetrated the bark, and had created a nearly perfect hole. She pulled her hand out and smiled, admiring her work.

She felt her hand itch, and stared at it. Her palm was slightly red, but that didn't bother her. As long as she didn't have to get her mother to heal it, she was fine. The girl grabbed her cloak and put it back on, liking how long sleeves no longer bothered her. Today, she had exchanged her old one for one similar to Gureki's, which had equal length, but short sleeves, unlike the previous one. There was also no hint of yellow on it, but only grey and icy blue instead. The Aoyo clan's blue sun rested on its back, between her shoulder blades, and above her heart.

She sat down on the ground cross legged and began wrapping her right hand with bandages, up to her forearm. She didn't want her teammates to see the marks Chidori had left behind. 

The thing that annoyed her about the new technique, was that so far, she could only do it once. After that, her chest would begin to ache, and that was never a good sign. _I have to get Kakashi-sensei to help me with it, just like he promised._ The memory of her near death experience back in Tazuna's bridge came to her mind, and she felt bad.

_''Chidori... Its name is Chidori! But you'll have plenty of time to practice it, once this mission is over!" He said, loosing his calm by the second. ''It'll be the third step.''_

Their sensei really cared about them after all, even though he acted so laid back. She sighed and rested her hands on her knees, closing her eyes. _Now, what did mother say? Meditation? __First, concentrate. Then... concentrate... again?_

Her brow twitched. _Why is this so hard? I'm supposed to be relaxing and controlling my chakra flow. _She heard the forest sounds all around, the animals, trees and felt the sun on her face. Sighing, she tried to focus on her chakra. _Stupid birds, stupid trees, stupid wind..._

''I give up!'' She announced to no one in particular, fed up. But when she opened her eyes, she noticed that the sun wasn't where she had left it. ''What in the...'' She stood up, and gasped. At least three hours had passed from the time she had sat down, judging from the position of the sun between the trees. ''The meeting!'' She suddenly remembered, and took off as quickly as she could.

_How did that happen? _She wondered, jumping from tree to tree. _I only closed my eyes for a few seconds... how could time pass so easily? Does that mean I did it right? Kami, please don't let Kakashi-sensei be there before me. Why do thing like this always happen to me?_

When a little away from the meeting place, she slowed down to a jog, and then an almost relaxed walking pace. When her teammates came into view, she inwardly sighed in relief. Kakashi wasn't there yet. When Sakura laid eyes on her however, the whole Village may have known about her turning up late.

''WHERE IN THE WORLD HAVE YOU BEEN, GUREHIPPO???" She yelled, making the boys cover their ears, and Gurehai hide her wince. ''As if sensei being two hours late every day wasn't enough, you are going to be tardy as well from now on?" She pointed a finger at her face, which she simply avoided.

''Morning Naruto, Sasuke.'' She greeted, deciding to mock her female comrade a little. _You may have picked my cloak up back in our mission, but that still doesn't change anything. _She then proceeded to rest her back against the railing, and cross her arms. A few seconds later, which consisted of the boys nodding in response and the Haruno staring at her like she was mental, Gurehai slowly turned her head to her and faked a small frown. ''Oh, hello Sakura-san. Didn't see you there.''

''Good morning, everyone!" Their sensei's voice chirped from above, before the pink haired girl could throw herself at the Aoyo. Heads snapped to his direction, and eyebrows rose. ''Today, I got lost!" He stated, taking the spotlight away from Gurehai.

''That's a lie!" Sakura and Naruto accused, and he scratched the back of his head. Jumping down, the change of Gurehai's attire didn't go unnoticed. _So Gureki told her about the clan_. He pondered, catching glimpse of the blue sun on her back. When his eye fell on her right arm, bandaged, but not in a way that indicated she was injured, he was taken aback. _She's been working on Chidori... on her own? After what happened to her? _She gave her one last glance, and approached them.

''Now, sensei.'' Naruto started, getting closer to him. ''We've been doing only lame missions lately. Isn't there one more exciting for us, so I can show my talent?" He asked, making Gurehai secretly wish their sensei would say 'yes'. To do serious missions, they needed to train, and if they trained, she'd be closer to mastering Raiton, and therefore, over with the third step. _He promised, after all. _

''I actually get what you're trying to say.'' The Jonin nodded, getting the white haired girl's hopes up.......

.......Only for them to get demolished, when the three D-Rank missions were over. Somehow, Naruto had managed to screw something up in each and every one of them, even in the _dog walking one._ So much for exciting missions.

She was currently holding up her blonde friend, while Sakura stayed close to Sasuke, and Kakashi walked behind them. ''Zazuge!" He suddenly growled, barely able to speak.

''Stop it!" Gurehai hissed under her breath, struggling to keep him standing.

As the two boys started arguing, as always, she turned her head to their sensei, contemplating on whether she should remind him of his promise back on the Land of Waves. She was about to open her mouth, when a hawk screeched from above them.

''Well, it seems like I have to head to the Hokage's office and hand in this mission's report.'' He closed his book shut, and gave them a salute. _Why can't he jut tell us the truth? Hawks are sent to assemble Jonin, for a meeting. Does he think we are that immature? _''See ya!" And he disappeared in a puff of smoke, as always. 

_Since Sasuke has left, should I go to the woods and work on Chidori? _She crossed her arms, slowly walking away from Naruto and Sakura, who seemed depressed all of a sudden. _I know one is supposed to be my current limit, but after that meditation thing earlier, I feel like my chakra has completely been restored. It wouldn't hurt to try... and mother is at home, in case anything happens..._

She suddenly heard laughs from behind her, and saw three short kids standing next to her teammates. Squinting her blue eyes, she recognized the Third Hokage's grandson.

''Huh?" She smiled, walking back to the five. ''If it isn't for Konohamaru, our future Hokage.'' She praised, knowing it would annoy Naruto, and the kid turned to her with a gigantic grin on his face.

''Gurehai nesan!*****'' The little boy exclaimed, running towards her and wrapping his arms around her waist -that's only where he could reach- and looked up at her with gleaming eyes. ''Where have you been, huh? You promised to spar with me four days ago, but I haven't seen you ever since!" He pouted, resting his hands on his hips.

''Nesan?" Naruto blinked, before the Aoyo could reply. ''How do you know Gure-chan, Konohamaru?"

''What do you mean how do I know her?" The smaller boy asked, like it was obvious. Gurehai saw her secret about to be spilled out, and had to protect it. ''She's my granpa's-...Mfhsmmht.'' She put her hand on his mouth, preventing him from revealing any piece of information.

''-Biggest supporter.'' She finished his sentence, sending him a death glare that somehow went unnoticed by the others. ''His granpa's biggest supporter. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have training to do. I'll see you all soon.'' She turned her back to the five and started walking away, when she heard a screech and a loud crash, and Konohamaru yelling 'ugly wench'. _Oh no. I hope that wasn't meant for Sakura, or else Lord Third will be one grandchild short. What am I saying? As if I'd let her. _

She turned around just in time to see the Sarutobi running away from her, but bumping onto a much taller, dark clothed stranger. The ninja, who wore a Sunagakure headband, looked a bit older than Gurehai, and had purple markings all over his face. He looked intimidating enough, and his cold brown eyes that looked down to the kid, didn't help the situation. 

Behind him was a girl with blond hair and green eyes, carrying a large fan. A protector adorned her neck as well, marking her a ninja of the Land of Wind. When the boy grabbed Konohamaru and held him up by the collar of his shirt, Gurehai began making her way to them.

''Hey, stop that.'' The blonde girl mumbled. ''You know you'll get scolded later, don't you?" She looked away, as Sakura apologized hastily.

''I think I'll have some fun before the strict one comes. This little punk is really lively.'' Her companion retorted, tightening his hold. _These are Konoha's Genin? _He smirked, eyeing Naruto and Sakura's head bands, when suddenly, another person came into view, from behind the others. Upon seeing her cloak, his eyes widened.

''I suggest you let go of him, before _I _have some fun with your face.'' Gurehai threatened with a calm voice, snapping the Suna ninja out of his trance, and making the blonde girl turn her head towards her. She gasped as well, staring at the symbol above her right breast. ''And seeing that it looks bad as it is, I wouldn't take any chances, if I were you.'' She unfolded her arms, allowing the to see the Aoyo clan's symbol better. Well aware of what they were thinking, she made sure her hood fell back slightly, in order for them to see the Konohagakure head band around her forehead.

Naruto, who was about to charge at the older boy, stayed back when he saw him slowly lose his hold on Konohamaru, while staring at Gurehai like he and his companion had seen a ghost. A pebble suddenly flew though the air, hitting the stranger, surprising everyone, and making the new comer let go of the kid.

''My teammate told you something.'' Sasuke said from a tree nearby, crushing the second stone he was holding in his hand. _Show off._Gurehai almost rolled her eyes, but was thankful he had drawn their attention off of her.

''Why you...'' The Suna boy seethed in anger, and started to unwrap the item he had been carrying on his back.

''Hey!" The girl next to him warned. ''You're not seriously going to use Crow for this, are you?" Her eyes widened, making Gurehai's narrow. _Crow? That's what he has probably named his weapon. And it's wrapped up... is he a puppeteer? If yes, we are doomed._

''Kankuro, stop. You are an embarrassment to our Village.'' A new voice stated, sending chills down her spine. turning her head to its source, she saw a redhead hanging upside down next to Sasuke. _How long has he been standing there? Did he appear out of thin air? Four seconds ago, he wasn't there! _The other two, who seemed to know him, were just as taken aback as well. ''Why do you think all the way here to the Hidden Leaf for?"

''Gaara.. p-please, listen to me...'' Kankuro almost begged, bringing Gurehai to the conclusion he was stronger than the both of them, and afraid of him, too. ''T-they lashed out first!'' He accused, in a lame attempt to excuse himself, like Kakashi.

''Shut up.'' Gaara cut him off, squinting his eye at him. ''I'll kill you.'' That's all it took for the other one to become a stuttering mess, and stop talking. ''I apologize for that.'' The redhead said, and disappeared in a gust of wind, leaving sand behind him. When he reappeared next to his teammates, the Aoyo got the chance to get a closer look on him.

He had turquoise eyes, that were framed by terrible dark circles, and a red tattoo over his left eye, reading 'love'. _Is that supposed to be sarcastic? That boy's as cold as ice. _He also carried a large gourd, with unknown contents. _I think I'm taller than him. _

''Wait a minute.'' Sakura suddenly exclaimed, making them halt and turn around. ''Your head bands show that you are from the Hidden Sand. Even though the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind are allies, shinobi of each nation aren't supposed to enter without permits. So state your purpose.'' _Seriously, Sakura? Couldn't you have asked Kakashi-sensei that? Now their attention is back on me. _Sure enough, the two were back at staring at her, but this time, Gaara joined them.

_No way... _He thought, looking her up and down, noting her blue eyes and the the sun on her cloak. _An Aoyo our age, here in Konohagakure? How is that possible? _His train of though was caught off by Temari.

''Here's my permit. And, we are obviously here for the Chunin Exams.'' The blonde girl explained, making the other Genin frown.

''What are the Chunin exams anyway?" Naruto wondered, and Gurehai kept herself from sighing. 

''Genin take them to be promoted to Chunin, like the name suggests.'' She answered, glancing back at him over her shoulder. 

''Then I'll try taking them! That'll be awsome!" The Uzumaki laughed, nudging Konohamaru. Sasuke jumped down next to Gurehai, who held Gaara's intense stare, without blinking.

''Hey you, with the gourd.'' The Uchiha called, gaining Gaara's attention. ''What's your name?"

''I'm Gaara of the Desert.'' He replied, looking at the black haired boy for a while. ''I'm curious about you as well. Who are you?" He asked back, making Sasuke smirk.

''My name is Uchiha Sasuke.'' After that, Gaara's attention was back on the Aoyo.

''What about you?" He asked, nodding his head at her. _As if you don't know already._

''My name is Gurehai Soraku. Or perhaps, you would want me to say 'Aoyo'?" She narrowed her eyes, when a slight shock appeared on Kankuro and Temari's faces. ''You Sand nin might be more satisfied with that.''

''So, 'Gure'. You are the daughter of Guretora, the Tiger of the Blue Sun?'' Gaara questioned, as everyone held their breath. ''Why would you keep the name of a commoner?"

''Guretora was my aunt.'' She replied, before Kankuro could open his mouth. ''My mother's name is Gureki. You'd think that Suna keeps records of its clans' members, alive, deceased, and married off.'' She commented, angering the puppeteer. ''I keep my father's name, because I respect him.'' _Or rather, his memory._

''I see.'' The readhead didn't say anything else, but narrowed his eyes at her. ''I look forward to our next meeting.'' He said, and they started walking away again.

''What about my name?" Naruto chirped, with a smile on his face. ''Don't you wanna know what it is?"

''Not interested.'' Gaara replied, not even glancing back. When the three disappeared from view, Gurehai put her hands in her pockets and bid her teammates farewell. Heading for the woods, she decided to work on the Chidori after all.

_Gaara of the Desert, huh? _She thought, as she destroyed another tree. _I guess we will meet again, whether I want it or not._


	11. Genjutsu- To The First Exam

''Good morning, everyone. Today, I am afraid I got lost in the path of life.'' Kakashi Hatake greeted his students, an hour after the time he had called them to their meeting spot. Gurehai didn't even bother to look at the scene Naruto and Sakura were about to make, and waited anxiously for her sensei's next words, that would hopefully be...

''This is sudden, but I have recommended you four for the Chunin Exams, so... here are your applications.'' the girl gladly took hers, and read it quickly. _This is real... I'm going to the Exams... and I'm going to pass them. _''If you want to participate, then turn these in on classroom 301, at 3 o'clock in the Academy, five days from now.''

_Five days? I have to work on my Genjutsu... and quickly. But... with who? _She stole a glance at her sensei, as the other three walked away. Before he could vanish, she called for him.

''Sensei.'' The Jonin turned her way. ''I need a favor.'' She hesitated, before remembering that it wasn't a favor in the first place. He'd promised. ''I need to work on my Genjutsu for the Chunin Exams, and I need a partner.''

''The one you told me about back on the bell exercise?" His eye narrowed, and she nodded. ''Why don't you ask Naruto to help you? I thought you were pretty close as teammates.'' He suggested, even though he knew the Uzumaki was hopeless with Genjutsu.

''Like I said, I need help with it.'' She pointed out. ''If something goes wrong, it could fry his brain.'' Kakashi's face fell.

''I feel so appreciated all of a sudden.'' He mumbled, looking away.

''Obviously, that doesn't mean I am okay with damaging your brain and messing with your mentality. But I assumed a Jonin would have more endurance, and be more experienced in such matters than a Genin.'' She shrugged, secretly hoping her smooth talk would work. ''And besides, it was you who put me in a Genjutsu in our first exercise, so I know you are good with it.''

''Mmm.'' Kakashi thought about it. _It'll be my chance to see her capabilities. If it's as dangerous as she says it is, then she needs training to be able to handle it properly._''Okay. Let's see what you got. Meet me in the training grounds.'' He saw her roll her eyes, before he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

''Vanishing like that, as always.'' She murmured, and headed for the instructed location.

Surprisingly, he was there when she arrived, reading his orange book, which she still thought reminded her of something. 

''Now, tell me about that Gen-...'' The Hatake started, walking towards his student, when she suddenly disappeared. When he turned around sharply, she was there, holding her palm out towards his head. The Jonin froze, eye widening. He slowly fell on his knees, with Gurehai's outstretched palm inches away from his forehead.

His body started shaking, after what seemed like seconds. A gasp left his lips, before his hand flew up to to the side of his head, gripping his hair. Sweat ran down his temples, and his wide eye was focused on the ground. 

''N-no...'' He whispered, wincing. His head was throbbing, his eyes stinging, his breath uneven. Faces he hadn't seen in a long time flashed before his eyes, yelling and crying and mocking for hours on end. He couldn't see Gurehai tear up, her concentration wavering.

When she finally stumbled back and opened her eyes, the Aoyo lost her balance and fell on the ground, the breath knocked out of her. Hair sprawled out all over around her head, but she made no move to stand up. 

The Jonin seemed to wake up from his trance and shake his head, looking at the ground around him to convince himself that it was real. When he looked up, he saw Gurehai stare up at the sky, on the brim of tears. He stood up and walked over to her, his eyes immediately falling on her uncovered right eye. She turned her head to look at him slowly, before looking away again.

''Told you I needed help with it.''

''This Genjutsu needs a direct link to the enemy's memory's to be activated, and that's exactly why I had to sneak up on you, sensei.'' Gurehai explained, ten minutes later. ''If you knew what I was about to do, you would've concealed your thoughts, blocked your memories, and put up a fight when I was trying to reach your subconscious, giving me even more hard time.''

''You saw all that?" Kakashi asked, recalling everything he saw. ''That's why you cried?"

''I didn't cry.'' She snapped, and then calmed down. She looked away from him, giving him view of her now covered eye. ''I got... upset. It backfired, as always.'' She gritted her teeth, trying to shake the images of her head. ''I saw the man with the green eyes... I always do. When I practiced it with Lord Third, I used to fall unconscious. So today's attempts, I found easy.''

''Who is he?" The man asked, but Gurehai hesitated. ''Come on, you saw everything- and everyone- I saw. It's only fair you tell me about him, don't you think?" That made her reconsider. _Who were those four, anyway? The only one I recognized... was he the Fourth Hokage? _''What did you see?"

''The man with the green eyes, he... He is one of the two that killed my father.'' She finally admitted. ''And this... thing keeps replaying in my mind... a memory that doesn't really exist.'' She raised her hand, and touched her right eye softly. ''In it, I never ran back to the Village, that day. I went back to him, and saw his body. The two in the red and black cloaks tried to attack me too... and he...'' She trailed off, letting her hand fall.

_''Little brat.'' The tall man said from afar, and something detached from his arm, and came after her, looking like black vines. Her eyes widened, and somebody pulled her backwards._

''I don't know why.'' Gurehai said. ''That never really happened. But as I said, it backfires. I see some of my worst nightmares, and he is in them. His eyes are.'' She glared hard at the grass, like it was to blame for everything. ''I need you to train me, so that I don't see him everytime I use Genjutsu.''

''You'll have it.'' Kakashi replied, and stood up. ''Before the Chunin Exams, you'll be all set.'' _I would help you train. That was my promise._

\---- ---- ---- ----

And the Hatake's words became actions, as, five days later, Gurehai stood in front of the Academy doors, waiting for her teammates to show up. 

''Gure-chan! You came!" She heard Naruto's voice from behind her, and turned around to see him and Sasuke walking towards her. She chuckled.

''Of course I came. Who else would look after an idiot like you during the fighting phase?'' She asked, and the boy pouted. ''I got a bet for you: If I become a Chunin in this Exams, you have to treat the entire team at Ichiraku's. If you become one before me, then it's my treat.''

''You got it!" The Uzumaki pumped his fist in the air, grinning like an idiot. Sasuke scoffed.

_Now that I have him motivated, I can rest assured he will do his absolute best. As for Uchiha, I don't need to question his spirit. But Sakura... if she does eventually turn up, then we might end up protecting her._

''Sakura-chan! You're late!" Naruto exclaimed, and indeed, the Haruno was approaching them with heavy footsteps. Looking at her, Gurehai could tell something was off. 

''I'm sorry.'' She mumbled, and raised her head. ''Good morning, Sasuke-kun.'' She greeted, with no excitement in her voice whatsoever. _Is she sick?_

''Come on, it's almost time. Let's get inside.'' She urged team 7, and walked in the Academy with Naruto on her heels. Reaching the second floor, they were met with a large crowd, that didn't seem to be moving. ''Why has everyone stopped here?" She asked no one in particular, and pushed some kids aside to see what all the fuss was about. Two kids their age stood in front of the door leading to the third floor, blocking the entrance. The weird thing was, that the sign showed the numbers '301', and not '201'.

''-Becoming Chunin involves leading missions, death and injuries of comrades, and a lot of pressure. We don't need weaklings like you in those positions.'' One of them said, looking down, where a boy wearing a green bodysuit and a girl with buns were. The Aoyo stepped forward, itching to get to room 301 for the Exams.

''Well, maybe you're right.'' She said, standing in front of them, and everyone present turned to look at her, including the fallen kids. ''Perhaps Konoha doesn't need people who can't detect a Genjutsu of the lowest rank as Chunin.'' With that, she heard gasps, and the two boys blocking the way seemed surprised. ''But please, let me and my team pass. We have some important business on the third floor, and we can't afford to be late.''

''Impressive.'' One of them said, releasing the Genjutsu with a hand seal. The sign morphed into one that said '201'. ''But still, all you did was catch on.'' He smirked, and Gurehai felt a hand on her shoulder, as Sasuke passed her and sent a kick the other Genin's way. Their attack felt short, however, when the boy in green from earlier jumped between them and stopped their kicks.

_What? _The girl raised her eyebrows at the scene. _Wasn't he the one being pushed down by the same person earlier. His speed... is incredible..._

''Hey.'' A new voice came from her right, as Sasuke stepped away from the kid. ''That's not what you promised.'' A boy her age with long brown hair said, approaching his teammate. ''You were the one who said not to attract attention.'' She noticed he had eyes like her former classmate, Hinata. _He's a Hyuga. And... they agreed to lay low. That's a smart move for these Exams._

''But...'' The boy protested, looking at his teammates. He had a shiny black bowl cut, and bushy eyebrows. His cheeks suddenly reddened, as he turned towards team 7. Behind him the boy and girl groaned. Within the blink of a eye, he was in front of her. ''My name is Rock Lee.'' He announced, looking at her in the eyes. ''Your name is Gurehai, right?" He asked, earning a raised eyebrow.

''Yes.'' She simply replied, uncomfortable with where the conversation was heading. 

''Please go out with me!" He smiled, giving her a thumbs up.''I'll protect you until I die!" Behind her, Sakura's face fell, as Naruto and Sasuke looked at him like he was mental. The white haired girl didn't even flinch.

''Genin like us should be focused on becoming Chunin, not dating.'' She smartly retorted, making Lees face fall. Even though she believed what she said, the truth was that she didn't like him either. That was also a jab directed towards Sakura, who took a minute to understand what was happening, due to her shock.

''What was that, Gurehippo?" She demanded, raising her fist in the air. Gurehai dismissed her, and kept looking at Rock Lee. 

''I got to give it to you, though.'' She started, and his facial expression turned into one of surprise. ''Your tactic to not attract unwanted attention, and therefore enemies, is extremely smart. Your speed is very impressive too.'' His face lighted up. ''You managed to stop the fastest person in our team with little effort.'' Sasuke scoffed.

Meanwhile, the Hyuga approached him. ''You there.'' He called, and Sasuke stared at him. ''Identify yourself.'' _As if._

''When asking someone their name give your own name first.'' He retorted, hands in his pockets. The long haired boy didn't back down.

''You're a Rookie, aren't you?" He asked. ''How old are you?''

''Again, I am not obliged to answer.'' The Uchiha smirked, and they all walked away.

_The Exams will be harder than I thought. _Gurehai pondered. _First the Sand, then that guy, with the impossible speed... And I might get to fight them all. It doesn't matter, still. They won't stop me from becoming Chunin, or reaching my goal._

''You, with the unpleasant look.'' A voice was heard, when they were meters away from their destination. _I hope he's not referring to me. _She turned around to see Rock Lee. ''My name is Rock Lee. When asking a person their name, you are supposed to give you own first, is that right?" He pointed his hand at Sasuke. ''Why don't you fight me right now, Uchiha Sasuke?"

''You are naive, knowing the name of my clan and still challenging me. Are you sure about this?" Sasuke asked from next to her. _You are the naive one, Uchiha, for thinking he'll be an easy fight. I have the feeling that earlier, he wasn't even showing his real speed._

''I want to test my techniques.'' He said, and then glanced at Gurehai. ''Also... Gurehai. Love.'' He daydreamed, making the girl sigh. 

''Wait!" Naruto yelled, out of the blue. ''I will take out Bushy Brows, in just five minutes. I got this.''

''I don't want to fight you.'' Lee argued, getting into his fighting stance. ''My battle is with Uchiha.'' Naruto didn't like that response, and charged at him. The result, as expected, was for him to be thrown to the wall, in less than five seconds. _Just like I imagined. With those skills, he might as well be..._

''I am the strongest Leaf Genin right now.'' He announced, as Sasuke stepped forward, and charged at him. He was struck down. Repeatedly. Even with his Sharingan, that made Gurehai curious of how and when he awakened it, he was no match for him. _On our mission in the Land of Waves? I was out for days, after all._

The Aoyo couldn't believe in her eyes when he saw the two suspend in mid air, bandages slowly wrapping around her teammate. _This is getting out of hand._ She though, torn between trying to help her comrade, and letting him fight his own battle. If it was her in his place, she knew she wouldn't want any of them interfering. But, as it turned out, she didn't have to do anything.

''LEE.'' A voice boomed, and the two boys were seperated. ''That technique is prohibited, you know.'' A turtle scolded the bowl cut boy, as Sakura ran off to catch a falling Sasuke. _Wait.. a turtle? What in the-..._

''Hey.'' Naruto gained her attention, face confused. ''That guy's getting scolded by the turtle, right? That's a turtle?" He asked, trying to take it in. ''Can a turtle even be a Ninja teacher?"

''No, of course not.'' Gurehai told him, half glancing at their direction. ''Only Jonin can lead Genin teams. A turtle can't be a Jonin!" She said, a bit confused herself. Then, from a puff of smoke above the turtle, a man appeared. _Man, what is it with Jonin appearing and disappearing like that? Just like Kakashi-sensei... _Then the smoke cleared out, and her face blanched.

He looked.. exactly like Lee. Or rather, Lee looked exactly like him. He had bushy eyebrows, and a black shiny bowl cut. His green bodysuit was accompanied by the Konoha flak jacket, and his cheekbones... Kami, those cheekbones... too intense.

''Look at those eyebrows... they're raging...''

''What about the intense bowl cut? It's-it's...''

''Those eyebrows look _alive_..''

''HEY, DON'T MOCK GUY-SENSEI!" Lee yelled, face red. 

''Drop it, Lee.'' The Jonin demanded calmly... before throwing his arm back and punching his student so hard, he started bleeding.

''What in the world?" Gurehai exclaimed, supporting herself by holding onto Naruto's shoulder. _I am so glad to have Kakashi as our sensei right now... I am never complaining about him again in my life..._

''Lee... you...'' Guy approached the boy again, getting down onto one knee. Lee slowly stood up, staring up at him with tears in his eyes.

''S-sensei!"

''LEE!"

''SENSEI!"

''THIS IS ADOLESCENCE, LEE!'' They cried on each other's shoulders, sobbing. _I can't believe that Sasuke lost to a guy like that... I am also never complaining about our relationship with Kakashi, ever again... This is too weird. ''_Now, run a hundred laps around the Academy, towards the setting sun! Let's go!"

''Wait a minute!" Gurehai stopped them, glancing at the clock. 2:56. ''What about the Exams? They start in less than five minutes! Which reminds me...'' She trailed off, grabbing both Naruto and a scowling Sasuke by the back of their collars. ''We have to get going too.''

With that they walked away from the strange duo, who kept talking. _So weird..._ She thought, as they approached the doors of room 301. There, they found Kakashi waiting for them. He was standing with his back against the wall, reading his book- as always.

''You guys!" He greeted, giving them a close eyed smile. ''I'm glad you came, and especially you, Sakura.'' He told them, making them frown.

''What do you mean, sensei?" The Haruno inquired, nervously glancing up at the Jonin. _What? There's no way we... _The man seemed to understand Gurehai's thinking, and nodded.

''Exactly.'' He said. ''If Sakura hand't come, then none of you would have been able to take these Exams.''


	12. The Ten Rookies- Cheating

''What do you mean we wouldn't have been able to take part in the Exams without Sakura?" Gurehai was at loss of words. ''We'd still be a three-man cell, wouldn't we?" She asked, even forgetting to add the Haruno's mocking honorific.

''But you wouldn't be a team.'' Kakashi pointed out, looking at her, a little disappointed. _If she doens't consider Sakura her teammate, the entire team might not be able to make it through. _''You see, telling you that you had a choice to take the Exams, I was testing your teamwork. If Sakura didn't want to enter, but the others persuaded her...'' He stole a glance at Sasuke, who was gaping. ''She would, no doubt, comply.''

The boys looked at their pink haired teammate, while the Aoyo glared at the ground. _I was so close... I was almost not allowed in._

''So... If it only had been Naruto, Sasuke and Gurehippo here today...'' Sakura trailed off, eyes wide.

''I would have stopped the exams right here.'' The Jonin confirmed, and Gurehai breathed in sigh of relief. _I can't think about what would have happened. She is here, and we can proceed, and that's all that matters. ''_But you are all here, on your own free will. Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke and Gurehai...'' He looked at his students one by one. ''I am glad you are here. I'm proud of you.'' He added, and the Aoyo fought back a smile. ''You may go in.''

She had a new feeling of optimism around her, but, as they walked through the double doors of room 301, it vanished. Before her stood about a hundred more Genin, all of them older than her, and all of them glaring at her. She didn't believe things could get any worse either, until...

''Sasuke-kun!" An overly enthusiastic voice chirped, and Gurehai saw her former classmate, Ino Yamanaka, jump on Sasuke's back with a wink. She kept silent, staying a few feet behind the rest of her team. 

''Get away from him, Ino Pig!" Sakura screeched, pointing her finger at the blonde. _I see she's very creative over nicknames with others too... and very talented at attracting even more attention as well... _She sighed, closing her eyes.

''Huh?" She heard a new voice say. ''You guys are taking these troublesome exams too?" Shikamaru appeared from behind Ino, with Choji by his side. 

''Oh look!" Naruto laughed, wrapping his arm around Gurehai's shoulders, who mentally cursed the Uzumaki's personality. ''It's the three idiots!"

''Don't call us that!" The Nara snapped back, putting his hands lazily in his pockets. ''What? You guys too?" He said after a second, as three more people approached the group. _Perfect... more Genin... more classmates..._

''What'ya say? All ten Rookies are here!" _More noise. _Kiba Inuzuka said, carrying his dog around on top of his head. ''This will be fun, right Sasuke? We've trained a lot, and there's no way we'll loose!" He smirked, and turned to the Uchiha.

''You are too confident, Inuzuka.'' He said, and Naruto interrupted him, shaking her in the process.

''Heh. I don't know about Sasuke, but I will never loose to the likes of you!" He practically screamed, making her covered eyebrow twitch. She sighed and got out of her friend's grip, when another boy walked up to them.

''You guys should be more quiet.'' He commented, pushing up his glasses. He had long silver hair, tied back, and a Konohagakure protector. He looked older than the Genin surrounding her. ''You are the rookie ten, straight out of the academy, aren't you? Well, I should expect that. But look around you.'' Gurehai didn't have to to as told to see all the other Genin were looking at them hatefully, from Konoha or not. _How does he even know who we are? _She glanced suspiciously at him, as he pulled out a deck of orange cards, and started spreading them over the floor. _Even we didn't know the other teams would be participating._

''Show me Rock Lee, and Gaara of the Sand.'' Sasuke said, and even from behind everyone, Gurehai kept her ears open. _Every piece of information is valuable._

''Rock Lee. Mission experience, 20 D-Rank and 11 C-Rank. He seems to be a year older than you.' His team is Tenten, and Neji Hyuga.'' _My age, then. _She corrected in her head, and looked around the room, avoiding hateful glances and focusing her eyes on the boy in green, who saw her and blushed immediately. She could swear she saw him mouthing something like 'Gurehai. Love', but didn't respond.

''And last, Gaara of the Sand. He's a Rookie, like you guys, and his mission experience is... eight C-Rank and one B-Rank.'' Whispers erupted from around her, but what she heard next, made her eyes widen. ''And hear this: He came out of every single one of his missions unscathed.''

_What? _She searched the room for him and his teammates, and eventually found them. Kankuro was looking back at her with a smirk on his face. _He went on a B-Rank as a Genin and didn't even get a scratch? _When the redhead's eyes met hers, she didn't turn away, despite of the chill running down her spine. _Well, I went on a A-Rank, and came back alive. Perhaps that makes us even._

''That means... not just the two of them, but everyone in this room, is the elite Genin selected from each Village. They'll be hard to take down.'' Kabuto commented, and Gurehai looked at the ground. _He is telling the truth. Every Hidden Village sent their very best in these exams... and we are just Rookies. If only Lee can take down Sasuke on his own with little to no effort, using only Taijutsu, I can't even begin to imagine what everyone else can do. And to think that was only his Taijutsu skills... I wonder how good he is at Ninjutsu or Genjutsu..._

''YOOUU!" Naruto suddenly yelled at the top of his lungs from next to her, scaring the crap out of her. She snapped her head at him with a murderous look, only to see him pointing his finger at the entire room. ''My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I won't loose to any of you! Got it?" He shouted, earning glares. Gurehai came at him from behind and grabbed the back of his neck, lifting him up with ease. Meanwhile, Sakura pathetically apologized to the other Genin, waving her hands around.

''You idiot!" The Aoyo hissed at her friend's face, who looked as if he was about to pee his pants. ''What do you think you're doing, provoking everyone like that?" She shook him, making him gulp. _Now everybody has their eye on not just him, but the whole Ten Rookies as well. They will no doubt come after us, the moment there is a chance to fight._

Her train of thought was cut short when a figure appeared in her line of sight, swinging his fist at Kabuto. She quickly let go of Naruto and turned her body around and got ready for a fight, but was relieved to see that her fellow Genin dodged in time, jumping back. The attacker was a Sound ninja, judging from his headband, who had his entire face covered with bandages, except from one of his eyes. 

''He dodged it!" She heard Naruto exclaim in relief, but then, the older boy's glasses cracked, and he fell to his knees, puking. _He puked? _Gurehai gasped, just like her former classmates. _But he clearly dodged the attack... and even then... He didn't perform a Jutsu... How could he do that to him?_

''SILENCE!" A new voice demanded, and smoke filled the classroom. _More smoke... let me guess... Jonin? _''Sorry to keep you waiting.'' The smoke cleared out, and a group of adults dressed in grey, led by a scary, scarred man, appeared. ''I am the proctor of the first test of the Chunin Exams, Ibiki Morino.''

He had scars running along his face, and Gurehai suddenly felt her covered eye itch. His eyes were black and emotionless, his lips a thin line. Next to him, two men smirked at the crowd of Genin. One had spiky blue hair, and the other straight, brown. _They look oddly familiar..._

''No doing as you please in the Exams. You there, from the Sound!" He called, and the three Sound ninja turned around. ''No fighting!" As the masked kid apologized shortly, the Aoyo started to panic. _There are so many proctors... and so many desks. Please tell me... please tell me we won't... _''Now, turn in your registration forms. In exchange you will be given one of these numbers. The number you get, is the seat you have to take. When you all settle down, the proctors will hand out sheets of paper for the test.''

_Not that, for the love of Kami! _She internally screamed, watching Naruto pale next to her as well. _We are going to get disqualified! _''We are screwed.'' She whispered, holding dramatically onto the blonde.

Taking a number from the proctor that approached her and took her application, she looked at it and walked away from the Uzumaki. Sitting down, she saw a boy about two years older than her on her left. He had light brown hair, honey colored eyes and a smug expression, and his head band showed he was from the Village Hidden in the Waterfall. He had a katana strapped on his back. She turned the other way before he could catch her looking at him, and almost froze.

On her right, with his usual stern expression, sat Gaara of the Sand. He still carried a large gourd around, and his arms were crossed over his chest. Remembering how he and his partners reacted to her appearance, she calmed down. Kankuro and Temari... they almost looked afraid of her. But they knew nothing, neither of her, nor her abilities. _It is strange how much a simple name affects people. _

With that she glanced away, trying to spot the rest of team 7. When she saw they were all scattered across the room, she inaudibly sighed. No help was going to come from them.

''Aoyo Gurehai.'' A voice called slowly from next to her, and she turned her head to the side, half confused and half surprised. With her face its usual expressionless mask, she locked her blue eyes with the boy's.

''Gaara of the Sand.'' She nodded slightly, recalling what Kabuto had said about him. _A B-Rank as a Genin, and he came out of it unscathed. _She couldn't deny she was intimidated by him. Even without his chilly stare, his own teammates were scared the crap out of him, and they were older than him. _And he insists on calling me 'Aoyo'. The Sand's pride, perhaps._

They exchanged no words after that. Ibiki stood in front of a big chalkboard, gaining the Genin's attention.

''There is a number of rules you have to follow, and I will take no questions, so listen carefully.'' He almost growled out. ''Firstly, the test has ten questions. Each Genin has ten points. For every wrong question, you are deducted one point.'' _So if I get all of them wrong, I have zero points... awsome. _''Now, for the second rule: pass or fail will be determined by the total score of the teams.''

_WHAT? _She kept herself from gasping, balling her right hand to a fist instead. _With both me and Naruto on the team, we are doomed. All right, lets see... _Her eyes searched the test in front of her, but after reading the questions, she wished she had never set eyes on them. _Were we ever taught that in the Academy? _Her mind went completely blank, as the only thing she could remember was Iruka rambling on about... about...

''Lastly, there's the third, and most important rule. If the proctors catch you cheating, your are instantly deducted two points. That means, some of you might get disqualified, before the tests are even graded.'' _I'm not able to cheat either... these guys are Chunin and Jonin! _''Those who do awkward cheating, will bring doom upon themselves.'' _Awkward? What does he mean 'awkward'? So we are allowed to cheat? _''If even one member of the team scores zero points, the entire team is disqualified." _That's terrible. Even if I can get at least one question correct, Naruto..._

_"_The last question will be given during the last forty five minutes of the test. The test will last one hour. Begin!" 

Gurehai grabbed a pencil and focused on her sheet of paper, going through the questions. Seeing that they were all too hard, she sighed. _What am I going to do? The first one looks simple enough... But the others... They're Sakura-level! How am I supposed to do this?_

Answering the easy one, to make sure she at least had one point, the girl closed her eyes and relaxed. _Okay, think. Ibiki said that awkward cheating will bring doom upon us... And that means... That non-awkward cheating will save us? And the other thing... 'Shinobi must act like exemplary shinobi. If you want to become a Chunin, keep that in mind.' Shinobi are known for their stealth, and ability to deceive their enemy... So... Does he want us to cheat, but not get caught?_

From a few desks over, she saw Sasuke looking back at her, confused. She remembered his Sharingan, and what it can do. _The Sharingan copies other people's techniques... So why not handwriting as well? _She pointed her fingers to her eyes and then widened them, hoping he would get the message. Then, she started writing on her paper.

**Cheat, don't get caught. "Exemplary shinobi." I have one question right. **

Putting her faith in him, and trusting he would figure a way to cover for her lack of points, Gurehai spotted Naruto, who looked as if the world was coming to an end. _I don't like saying this one bit... But Sakura, I know you can do it._

That's how the rest forty minutes passed. When the first team was disqualified, due to having points deducted because of careless cheating attempts, the Aoyo felt a lump forming in her throat. _No, we are alright. Naruto isn't that foolish. He can make it. We can make it. _Then came the second. And the third. There was grunting, cursing and heavy footsteps, but neither her not her teammates were called out. 

''Pens down. It's time for the tenth question.'' Ibiki announced, and everyone inhaled. They had come so far. ''There is one simple condition for this question. You have to choose whether to answer it or not.''

''Choose?" She heard Temari gasp from a few desks behind. 

''Let me finish.'' The proctor raised his voice, and the room quieted down. ''The reason you have to choose is this: If you decide not to take the question, you and your team will be disqualified. However, if you choose to take it, but answer it wrong, you will be banned from taking the Chunin Exams for the rest of your life.'' Whispers and worried voices echoed through room 301, and Gurehai tried to find her teammates.

_This is risky. If I take it, and answer it right, everything is fine. However, there's not telling what the others will answer. On the other hand, if I decide not to take it, Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura will be also disqualified. Man, this is awful. I get myself in difficult situations, as always. And let's not forget, that there is a chance we'll be stuck as Genin forever._

''If you want to take the tenth question, the stay as you are. Everyone who doesn't want to take the risk, please raise you hand. You and your team will be shown outside.'' He said, and once again, one by one, teams started exiting the room like flies. Gaara on her right, and the Takigakure boy on her left, stayed motionless. _There's no way Naruto and Sasuke will quit right now, and neither will I... But Sakura... she might chicken out, or think it's for the team..._

And, as cue, she saw the Haruno, somewhere to the left, slowly raise her hand. Before the Aoyo could react, or even try to alert her, she was shocked to see Naruto raise his hand high in the air. _No way! He would never back out!_

''Don't underestimate me!" He shouted, slamming his hand back on the desk. _That's it! Naruto, my first friend... I knew you would never back down._ ''I won't run! Even if I'm stuck being a Genin forever, I will become the Hokage!" _Wait... he wasn't thinking of me, Sasuke and Sakura at all... as always, weird little thing..._

''I am going to ask one last time.'' The scarred Jonin warned. ''Do you quit?"

''I will never go back on my Ninja Way!" The blonde said, sitting back down with a frown on his face. Gurehai sighed. _So, this is it... the final question..._

''Alright then. For everyone that is here... the First Exam... You have passed it!"


	13. Forest Of Snakes

''Did you just hear someone... scream?" Sakura shivered, looking around the dark woods. Indeed, a scream had echoed all around them, not helping the situation. The gigantic forest with the tall, ancient trees had little sources of light, adding to team 7's nervousness.

Shortly after Ibiki Morino had explained to them how and why they had passed the first round of the Exams, a woman had burst through the windows, making a scene. The same woman turned out to be the proctor of the second test, Anko Mitarashi. _At least she didn't appear in a puff of smoke, like every other Jonin I've ever met. _All 79 of them were to meet her again outside Training Ground 44 the next day, and when they did, they were met with a horrible sight.

''Let's just keep going.'' Gurehai urged her teammates, taking the lead. ''We have to get to the Tower as soon as we can.''

All 26 teams were given a scroll, which read either 'Heaven' or 'Earth' on it, and were asked to find its match, by fighting other teams and getting their scroll. That had to happen within a time limit of 120 hours - five days. Gurehai was more intimidated by the Forest they had to pass through to get to the Tower than the teams they had to possibly fight. She had a strategy as well.

''But Gure-chan... we don't have a second scroll yet.'' Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. 

''I know. But since everyone will be heading towards the Tower, afraid of the time limit, it will be easier for us to catch a team off guard and capture their scroll.'' The girl explained, crossing her arms over her chest.

''Guys, I need to pee!" The Uzumaki exclaimed, quickly turning around and hiding in the bushes. _It's been 5 minutes since the start of the Exams. _She mentally sighed, and turned around, going over her plan on her mind.

_I have to make sure not to use Ninjutsu until we are close to the Tower, or else I might collapse. Worst case scenario, in which a strong team attacks us, I'll have to use Kiokugomon*****. _

She was brought back by Sakura's voice, and a loud thud. When she turned around, she saw Sasuke attacking Naruto continuously, not leaving him a chance to defend himself.

''What are you doing, Sasuke?" She demanded, gaping at the Uchiha. He looked at her over his shoulder.

''Take a closer look at him, Gure! That's not the real Naruto. The scratch on his face has disappeared, and his holster is on his wrong leg. He's a fake!" The Aoyo realized he was right, especially when she took a second to observe 'Naruto's' movements. His fighting style was nothing like what she was used to seeing. Holding her two kunais in front of her, she jumped next to Sasuke.

''Unlucky!" Their teammate's image changed to the one of a Kirigakure ninja. ''You noticed. Now, you'll have to give me your scroll!" He charged at them, but Sasuke attacked him with his Katon Jutsu, making him jump back. 

Following close behind him, the white haired Kunoichi threw her kunai at him, but he blocked it, sending shuriken fly her way. She ducked behind a tree to avoid them, but gasped when she saw the paper bomb attached to them. She got away just in time, only to fins the ninja right behind her, threatening her with a knife. Sasuke came to the rescue, kicking him away.

When she got back up, the black haired boy was chasing away the enemy Genin, who was bleeding. Naruto appeared next to her, finally free of his restrains.

''He got away?" She asked when Sasuke came back, Sharingan deactivated. Nodding, the boy motioned for them to sit down.

''To avoid falling into a trap like this again, we have to find a password. That way, even if we see someone who looks like a teammate, we'll be sure it's them. The password is: 'The chance to sneak up when a large number of enemies are making a scene. The quiet place has no secret hideout. It is important for a shinobi to know the right time, the time when an enemy drops his guard.' That's it.'' Gurehai gave him a blank look, struggling to remember. 

_A password like that, really? Naruto can't even remember what he had for dinner last night. _She sighed, shaking her head. _And I'll just say... something no one but me could know about them. That'll work. _

''Can you repeat it one more time?" Naruto pleaded, his face confused. ''I mean, it's not that I couldn't memorize it, but I thought that if I heard it once more, I'd be more certain...''

''No, I said it once. Now let's go. I'll carry the scroll.'' He said, standing up. _Why is he announcing our plans like that? Enemies could be listening- Oh. Enemies are listening._

''Move!" She yelled when she felt a large current of wind heading straight towards them, destroying everything in its path. She backed away as quickly as she could, but eventually got caught in the vortex, and was swept away.

When Gurehai regained her balance, no one was around. Her team had disappeared, along with whoever attacked them. _I have to find them as soon as I can. Being separated won't do us any good, especially with enemies lurking behind every corner._

But when she jumped on a tree branch to get a better view of the terrain, she stumbled back immediately, backing away from the huge snake that snapped its jaws at her. She back flipped on another tree, taking her kunais out. The snake followed, trying to hit her with its tail. She ducked at the last second, with the wood splitting in half below her feet. 

She landed on her feet, bracing herself for the next attack. The serpent hissed and came for her again, opening its large mouth. She waited for the right moment and then jumped up, the snake's head right below her. It slammed to the ground, and before it could find time to recover, she coated her kunai with lightning and threw it, hitting it in the eye. The animal hissed and trashed around frantically, before screeching one last time and dropping dead.

''That was close.'' She inhaled sharply, inspecting her attacker. It was twenty times bigger than the largest snake she had ever seen in her life, and had fangs as long as her arms. _Is it a Summoning? It looks too big to be just an animal. Perhaps it's one of the traps that have been laid out for the Genin. _

Above her head, an orange blur flew quickly, going towards the opposite direction. ''Naruto!" She exclaimed, but was too far away to be hear by her teammate. She climbed the trees quickly, like Kakashi had taught them, and tried not to lose him.

She almost slipped when something hit her in the face, running down her cheek. _Is that__... gastric acid? _She wiped her face with the back of her hand, glancing at the small trails her teammate left behind. Sounds of battle echoed up front, and the girl knew she had found her team, when she heard Sakura scream.

Landing on a tree branch near Naruto, she looked down, and saw... the Grass ninja that made a scene earlier, when all the teams were gathered outside the Forest of Death? Her body resembled a snake's, the way it was wrapped around a tree. _She's creepier than before... _

''I'm sorry Sasuke.'' Naruto smiled, and Gurehai knelt down on the branch. ''I forgot the password.''

''Naruto, Gure! I know you came to save us, but don't engage! This woman is on an entirely different level. Run away, now!" Sasuke yelled, with his Sharingan activated. An image of her father passed quickly before her eyes, and she shook her head, grabbing a kunai. _Never again._

''Stop talking nonsense, Uchiha!" The Aoyo growled, as Naruto nodded. ''We are a team. You think I can let you to fight that thing on your own?" She stole a glance at the grass ninja, whose body was twisted in very disturbing ways. Looking at her, the scary woman smirked and licked her lips.

''Naruto-kun, Gure-chan. I see you dealt with those snakes just fine.'' She commented, making Gurehai narrow her eyes. _So they were summonings after all. _She sneered.

''My name's not Gure-chan, not for you.'' She spat, jumping next to Naruto. ''He's the only one who gets to call me that, snake.''

''Aye,aye!'' The blonde grinned. ''And it seems that you have been bullying the weakling. But, now that were are here, we're going to wipe the floor with you!" _I wouldn't go so far as to say that... that woman can summon snakes as big as our houses, Naruto._

Just as the duo was ready to attack, Sasuke cried out.

''Wait! Please, take this and leave!" He said, taking the heaven scroll out of his pouch. The girl's eyes widened. _He can't possibly be serious about this! We can fight! Why does he want us to quit? _

''Sasuke, are you mental? Why would you hand over our scroll to our enemy like that?" The Uzumaki shouted, as upset as her.

''Shut up, Naruto! Can't you see this is the only way?" He yelled back, surprising the girl even further. _He doesn't have a plan... he isn't faking this because of a strategy. He's seriously afraid._

''I see, you are the sensible one.'' The snake-woman said, smirking. ''The only thing the prey can do when the predator appears, is to offer food and hope they'll be spared, is that it?"

When the boy tossed the Heaven scroll away, Gurehai gasped. Thankfully, Naruto was quick to ran off and snatch it mid air, before it fell on the enemy's hands. _Is that Uchiha idiot for real? We would have been disqualified, before we even got to the final test!_

''Who are you?" Naruto asked, disgusted. Punching his teammate hard in the face and throwing him down, he seethed with anger. ''You must be an impostor. You have to. Where is the real Sasuke? The one I know isn't a stupid coward like you, and who wouldn't give up so easily?"

''I don't care how strong she is, you idiot. We are supposed to fight her together!" The Aoyo called, her cloak swishing behind her as she jumped down several branches.

''How do you even know she would let us get away after we handed her the scroll, huh?" The blonde Genin asked, as the Grass ninja stood up.

''You are right, Naruto-kun.'' She licked her lips once again. ''I could just kill you all and get it!" With a flick of her wrist, on which she spread her blood, another gigantic snake appeared, and it seemed to be thrice as large a the one that attacked Gurehai. 

''NARUTO!" She screamed in despair, as the snake, with the ninja on its head, attacked her friend. His body smashed through several branches, landing dozens of feet below. She rushed to his side, watching as the head came down to hit him. She performed the hand signs on her way there, and drew her hand back as neared the serpent.

_I wasn't supposed to use Ninjutsu so soon. _She thought, as she felt her arm grow heavy. _But there's nothing else left to do in this situation. She's threatening our lives!_

''Doton: Rock Fist!" She announced, slamming her stone, enlarged limb against the snake's jaw. She managed to buy some time, but not enough to see its tail coming for her. The tail collided with her back, and Gurehai was sent flying.

When she hit a tree, the breath was knocked violently out of her. By the time she recovered, and tried to stand back up while panting, Naruto had started attacking her with vicious punches, alike the girl had ever seen before. _What's wrong with him? _She wondered, feeling uneasy. _His strength is monstrous... and, oh Kami- what's going on with his eyes?_

They were glowing red, as he put his body in front of Sasuke, to protect him. The Aoyo girl had to get up and help them, and she had to do it now. Going as fast as her body would allow her, she reached the remains of Team 7, just as Naruto was tossed away by the tongue of the enemy like a rag doll. She threw a kunai to stop his fall, and succeeded.

''What in the world are you?" She hissed at the creepy woman, who only smirked in return. She held their Heaven scroll, and Gurehai didn't like it one bit. ''Give us the scroll back, you snake!" She spat, coming at her with lightning-covered kunais. She rolled to her right to avoid the snake's tongue, and then threw one of the kunais, penetrating it. Unfortunately, the woman turned her head to the side and avoided both it and the one she threw after.

Next thing she knew, instead of stabbing her like she intended, Gurehai found the woman's abnormally long tongue wrapped around her right arm like a shackle. Gasping, and trying helplessly to get away, she felt the tongue cover her arm up like the bandages she was wearing.

''My, my.'' The Grass ninja said, almost adoringly. ''You are just like him, aren't you?" She asked, making the girl freeze. ''You are just like your father.'' She started struggling again. _She's lying... she can't know him._

''What do _you_ know about Soshimo Soraku?" She hissed, briefly meeting her eyes. They were cold, empty and taunting. 

''Oh, but he was a close ally of mine.'' She laughed, confusing the girl even more. ''We made quite the team.'' She added, causing her blue eyes to widen. 

''Stop lying! Who are you?" She yelled, not recognizing her own voice. _I have to do something. Personal feelings aside, she's about to either snap my arm in half, or eat me whole, and I don't know which one is worse. I wonder... can I possibly do it without hand seals?_

Taking deep breaths and flexing all the muscled in her right arm, she gathered every ounce of Lightning chakra she could, knowing she may regret it later. To her relief, sparks danced around her fingers.

''Chidori!" She yelled, as her hand erupted in pure white bolts of lightning. The woman instantly let go, her burnt tongue hanging outside her mouth. ''Sasuke, snap out of it!" She demanded, holding her hand. The Uchiha seemed to respond to her voice, shaking his head. When he opened his eyes, the Sharingan glowed like embers.

''The Uchiha blood has stirred.'' The woman said. ''Let's see your true potential.'' 

When the boy charged at her, kunais at hand, Gurehai stayed behind, waiting for an opportunity to strike. _First chance I get... I'll impale her, just like those trees. _The Chidori in her hand started burning. _Quickly, Sasuke. I can't hold it much longer._

Fireballs were thrown all around the enemy, and the Aoyo rushed towards the scene, thrusting her hand on the smoke. It only collided with wood, as the woman merged with the tree and ran towards Sasuke once again. The white haired girl pulled her hand out with a hiss, turning to look at the attack. The battle continued, and eventually resulted to the boy getting punched in the face, and falling down.

''Sasuke-kun!" Sakura screamed, and Gurehai suddenly remembered she was there too.

''Sakura!" She yelled, gaining her attention. ''Don't worry about him, I got it covered! Watch over Naruto, until this is over! If he falls from the that height, he'll die!" She said, jumping down to reach the same branch her male teammate an the enemy was.

''Katon: Dragon Flame Jutsu!" He yelled, releasing a huge wave of fire towards the snake woman. Her shrill scream filled Gure's ears, as she slid down the bark of a tree to stand next to Sasuke, who wobbled.

''I got you.'' She mumbled, catching him before he fell. ''It's alright, Sasuke, you got her, you did it.'' She assured him, holding him up by putting his right arm over her shoulder. _He lost a lot of chakra, performing those three Fire Jutsus the one after the other. We need to find a place for everyone to rest. _Her knees suddenly began to give out, as an overwhelming feeling filled her every bone.

''I didn't expect you to be able to use the Sharingan so much, at this age.'' A voice said, different from the woman's, as both Genin crumbled to the ground. ''I do want you after all.'' It said, and Gurehai tried to look up. _Is this... murdering intent? I can't move... but it doesn't... I don't..._

''You are definitely his brother.'' The new, chilly voice commented, coming closer ans closer. ''Your eyes hide so much more ability than Itachi's.'' Gurehai gritted her teeth. _He's talking about Sasuke's brother... He knows him too? Who is she? Or rather... he? _The face of the snake woman had partially melted off, revealing another, paler face underneath. The new eye was yellow, like a snake's.

''Who the hell are you?" The boy growled from next to her, obviously upset by the situation.

''My name is Orochimaru.'' The man said, and Gurehai gasped. _That name... it reminds me of something, but what? Could it be... that he was saying the truth? Do I know him? _''If you want to meet me again, the run quickly to the top of this test, defeating the three Sound ninja under my control.''

''Stop it!" She shouted, seeing him burn their Heaven scroll to ashes. _There's no way we can make it if he destroys that scroll too. _

''Oh, but I'm not over yet.'' He taunted, and in a flash, his neck expanded so much, it reached both her and Sasuke, sinking his fangs on the boy's neck. The Kunoichi gasped, seeing the Uchiha's face contort in pain. She quickly stood up and threw a kunai at his neck.

Twisting in order to avoid it, his neck twitched, and his head suddenly came to hit her. She gasped and put her arms in an 'X' formation in front of her, but the force of the blow knocked her back anyway. Her back collided with a tree and broke through it, her body buried in the bark. Knowing he would come after her again, she made a hand seal and got out, connecting her feet with the bark, and sticking on it horizontally.

''Don't think I forgot about you, Gurehai.'' He said, his neck connecting with his shoulders once again. He was just a tree away from her. _I can do it. I can. _She thought, as Sasuke's screams urged her to perform hand signs faster. 

''Doton: Stone Spike Prison!" She slammed her hands on the bark, and instantly, stone spikes surrounded Orochimaru, holding him in place.

''Sasuke-kun!" She heard Sakura scream again. She wasn't surprised. The boys screams were so agonizing, they broke her heart. 

''What did you do to him, snake?" She hissed, running towards the man with a kunai in hand. Before she could cover it with lightning, and bury it in his neck, Orochimaru grunted and flexed his muscles, breaking the spikes to pieces. The force threw her away, but a second before her body hit the tree, an arm wrapped around her neck.

She felt herself being dragged forward, and she opened her eyes to see his extended arm, bringing her body to him. Desperately trying to free herself by clawing at his arm, she kicked the air, to no avail. She collided with his chest, and looking up, she saw his deformed face.

''You rival Sasuke-kun's strength as you are right now.'' He praised, caressing her cheek with his free hand. ''I can't wait to see the power your Taorigan will unlock.'' He cooed, as her body trashed in his grip. ''You will make a powerful servant.''

''GUREHAI!" Sakura screamed from afar, seeing the man bite down on her teammate's neck.


	14. Team 10- And Kabuto

''GUREHAI!" Sakura screamed, seeing the man bite down on her teammate's neck.

Gurehai fell on her knees, grasping her neck in agony. Stinging tears of pain had started to form in the corners of her red eyes, as Orochimaru smirked, staring down at his achievement. Sakura took of running towards the white haired girl, and the snake man slowly sank to the ground and merged with the tree, leaving behind a disheveled team 7.

Sasuke had long since blacked out when the Haruno reached him, his hands grasping the bite on his shoulder. She didn't know what to do. Around her, her teammates were all out, Naruto hanging by a nearby tree, Sasuke lying on her feet, and Gurehai, the girl she had always been jealous of, the one that risked her life to not only protect her, but her beloved too.

"Gurehippo..." She sobbed, kneeling down and taking her body partially in her arms. The Aoyo was growling in pain and agony, struggling to take a breath. Before Sakura could say anything else, her female comrade gasped, her body slowly dissolving to soil. The dirt run down her legs and slipped between her fingers, forming a pile on the wood under her.

Sakura exclaimed in surprise, hastily standing up. _That was an Earth clone... She's alive, she's not hurt! Where are you, Gurehai? _

Right on cue, a limping figure appeared in her line of vision, approaching her with unsteady footsteps. Turning her head to welcome her with a grin, Sakura's face fell instantly when she saw the girl's condition. Her face was full of scratches, and she was clutching her right arm, where not only her bandages were torn, but her skin was burnt as well. But that wasn't nearly the worst part. Her left leg was almost entirely covered by blood, oozing from a wound on her thigh. A large splinter of wood was sticking out from the wound, painted red.

"S-Sakura-..." She whispered, trying desperately to reach her and the fallen Sasuke a few feet away, but failing as her legs gave out. She hit the wooden branch with a thud, and tears ran from Sakura's green eyes.

''Naruto!'' She snapped, not knowing what to do. ''Naruto, please!" She begged, sobs racking her body. ''Sasuke, Gurehai... they're... they're...'' 

\----

_I can't wait to see the power your Taorigan will unlock..._

_Gurehai..._

_You will make a powerful servant..._

_Run..._

_Gureki and I are proud of you, Hai..._

_Little brat, come back here!_

_I am here..._

_I don't mind at all... Lean on my pride... I'm a lion..._

_The Taorigan..._

_Gurehai..._

_DIE!_

When she opened up her eyes, all she could see was grey. Blinking rapidly, she acknowledged the hot pain on her leg, and hissed. She saw a flash of pink, and a flash of blue, and then an agonizing scream filled her ears, making her eyes widen in surprise. 

Her back was against a tree, her legs sprawled out, her left one bandaged, up to her shorts. Her right hand was wrapped in some kind of cloth, and stung like hell. Her head ached. Her chest ached. On the grass in front of her feet, lay an unconscious Naruto, his face peaceful, as if he was asleep.

Looking up, her eyes focused on both familiar and unfamiliar figures, confusing her even more. Sakura was hugging Sasuke from behind, with an unidentified body down on the ground; A terrified Sound ninja stood in front of them, reminding her the one that attacked during the first test; She could see another body, a small mass of green, really, not too far off.

_-Wait... Sasuke... That's Sasuke... He's okay, Orochimaru didn't kill him, he's alive, they're... they're fighting, with me and Naruto down. I have to get up. Wait a minute... That's Lee over there... what in the world..._

She hissed as her thigh send a wave of pain through her entire body. She heard voices, and murmurs, and finally, as her eyes began to close again, two shadows loomed over her, one standing above Naruto, and the other, a smaller one, sat down next to her feet. 

''Gurehai...oi, Gurehai.'' A familiar voice called, urging her to reopen her tired eyes.

''EVERYONE, HIDE! WHERE IS THAT WOMAN?" Naruto bellowed, too loud for her sensitive ears to tolerate. She winced and shuddered, which resulted to another wave of pain to make her eyes widen.

She saw Shikamaru a few inches away from her face, looking at her half-bored, half-worried. She carefully raised her left hand and rubbed her eyes, her vision instantly clearing.

''Nara?" She wondered in a raspy voice, blinking. ''What the hell is happening?" She inhaled, and he stood up, allowing her to take a look at the others. Choji was standing not too far away, looking down at the Uzumaki, who was crawling on the ground, confused. Ino was approaching them slowly, with Lee's arm draped over her shoulder, holding his limp body up. Sakura and Sasuke were on the ground, looking back at them in confusion.

Sakura looked awful. Before Gurehai had fallen unconscious, she wasn't harmed, at all. Now, her skin was adorned with cuts, scrapes and bruises, her left eye was swollen and purple, and her hair... _Oh Kami... what happened to her hair?_

''You look like you are about to die.'' She heard Akimichi's voice comment, and she snorted.

''Well, I almost did, so I am not that surprised.'' The Aoyo told him, and raised her left hand, waiting for either of them to help her up. Shikamaru grasped it, and she stood up with a growl. ''Who were those people?"

''Sound ninja. We kind of fought them off. But Sasuke...'' The boy trailed off, when the Uchiha's eyes looked away from Sasuke and fell on Gurehai. ''He beat them.'' 

''I'm glad. Help me over there, will you?" She said, pointing towards her teammates, who were now sitting together, as Naruto made a fuss about Sakura's hair. 

''Gure-chan!" The blonde exclaimed, rushing to her side. ''You're hurt! When did this happen?" He gasped, seeing her leg, and her arm. She smiled tiredly, detaching herself from Shikamaru.

''I think I'll be fine... In about a month.'' She hissed again, touching her thigh. Then she looked at Sakura. ''Thank you for wrapping them up, Sakura-san. Did you get all of the splinters out?" She asked, referring to her wound on her leg. When the other Kunoichi nodded, she glanced at her tight hand. The cloth was a light grey color, with icy blue details here and there. She realized it was a part f her cloak.

''Gurehai. Love.'' She heard from her left, and turned to see Lee, finally awake. His female teammate was by his side. Instead of rolling her eyes, like she would have done in every other situation, she gave him a small smile.

''Lee, thank you.'' She said, and the boy blushed. ''Even though I wasn't awake, I can tell that you fought to protect me and my teammates, and for that, I am grateful.'' She bowed her head slightly, as much as her body would allow her, and saw him tear up. ''I hope that one day, I can return the favor.''

''Gurehai-san.'' He swallowed the lump in his throat. ''Sakura-san. This time, my efforts weren't enough. But the Lotus of the Hidden Leaf blooms twice. Next we meet, I'll be a stronger man!" He promised, and she nodded. ''Sasuke-kun. I have to say, that that was expected of the Uchiha clan. You beat them, while I was beaten to a pulp.''

_What? _Gure thought. _He was beaten to a pulp? But he completely humiliated Sasuke back in the first test... What did that snake do to him?_

''Sakura! Come over here!" Ino shouted, waving a kunai in the air. ''I'll fix your hair!" The girl reluctantly walked over, and Gurehai used Shikamaru to sit down, but not without biting her lip. She looked at the tear in her cloak, and sighed in relief when she saw it was on the right side of it. She bit her left thumb and pressed on the inside of the fabric, on top of an intricate design. With a puff of smoke, a large roll of bandages appeared, falling on her hand.

''Sasuke.'' She called, starting to unwrap the cloth from around her right hand. ''Could help me out? I can't do it with one hand.'' She pleaded, and he knelt down to her level. When the wrapping fell completely off, she was relieved to see that the burn marks were a lot better than she thought they'd be. She reached on the top of the roll of bandages, and pulled off the tap, slowly letting water slide down her injured fingers.

Team 10 departed shortly after, along with Lee and his teammate, who jumped on the trees to join the last member of the team, the Hyuga, who was watching from above. His eyes met hers, and she turned away, to thank Sasuke for wrapping up her arm.

Next up was her leg. She dreaded the second she would lay her blue orbs upon the wound, fearing that it would be beyond her abilities to cover up. It started bleeding the moment she unwrapped it, and the girl hissed, as Naruto gasped. The wound was about the size of her thumb, and covered in both fresh and dried blood. It took a while to clean it with the water that was steadily disappearing, but when she, with the Uchiha's help did, she immediately knew she would have to sew it up.

''Sakura-san, can you please come over here?" She said through gritted teeth, and hoped the others would mistaken it for pain, and not annoyance. _I can't believe I'm asking for her help. But I can't help it. She has the smallest hands. _The pink haired Kunoichi approached wearily, and grimaced when she saw the wound. ''I need you to stitch the wound.'' She said, pulling a shenbon from her left pouch.

''Eh?" Sakura shrieked, as Gurehai handed her the shenbon, and wrapped wire around its edge. ''I can't do that!"

''You'll have to, Sakura.'' Sasuke interfered, to everyone's surprise. ''Gure's hand is injured, the other is shaking, and me and Naruto have large hands. You have to do it, or else she won't be able to walk, and we'll be stuck here forever.'' After her crush's words, the girl complied. The procedure was painful, but the Aoyo refused to shed any tears. She wouldn't cry, not in front of them.

When everything was over, they made their way away from the clearing, wandering towards the direction of the Tower, like her original plan was.

And that's what they kept on doing for the next hours. Wandering. When they reached a stream, they decided to settle down and rest, and eat some food. While the boys left to catch some fish, Gurehai and Sakura stayed behind.

''Sakura-san.'' She started, from her spot on the grass. ''I have to do something in order to restore my chakra. If I don't, I'm afraid I will collapse, and that won't do as any good. Our time limit is coming to an end.'' She explained, and carefully crossed her legs.

''What are you going to do?" She asked suspiciously, gathering wood for their fire.

''Meditate. Trust me when I say, that it will take a lot of time. Tell the boys not to wake me up, and I suggest you wouldn't try either.''

''A lot of time? But you have to eat!"

''I will, once I am done meditating. Don't wake me up.'' She repeated seriously, and rested her hands on her knees. Most sounds around her faded. She could hear the leaves rustle in the wind. She could hear the stream, the water gurgling. She could hear the grass sway. She could feel the sun on her face, the breeze on her skin.

It felt as mere seconds had passed, when she opened her blue eyes, and looked around. Eight pairs of eyes looked down at her in wonder. _Eight? Wait... what in the world is that Kabuto guy doing here? _''What are you doing here?" She deadpanned, her muscles relaxed, but her stomach aching.

''Gure-chan, Gure-chan!" Naruto chirped, getting in her face. ''Kabuto is going to help us get to the Tower, ttebayo!"

\----

Gurehai couldn't believe in her eyes, when team 7 finally reached the doors of the Tower. After nearly dying-once more, that is, they had gotten the Heaven scroll, they had lived, and they had reached their destination before the time limit. _This is it. The second test, it's over. We are here. We have passed._

''What are we supposed to do now?" Naruto asked, walking inside the doors. The large room before them was completely empty, apart from some writings on the wall and stairs. _No more stairs...Please. _She mentally groaned, as she was physically being held up by her blonde friend. Although her chakra was replenished, and the aching in her chest had subdued, her left leg didn't hurt any less when she walked.

_Hmm... The writing makes no sense at all. Words are missing. Are we supposed to fill them in, somehow? Heaven... Earth... Wait, our scrolls..._

''I think we are supposed to open the scrolls now.'' She looked at her teammates, taking the Heaven scroll out of her pouch. ''See over there? Words are missing, so we have to probably open the scrolls to find out.'' Naruto took out the Earth scroll from next to her, and gulped. _Kabuto said that those who opened the scrolls too early, were put under a Jutsu, and missed the end of the Exams... But we are here, and we have both... Please Kami, let it be over..._

The two Genin opened them simultaneously. At first, nothing happened. No Jutsu, no explosion, no anything. But then, when she was about to speak, smoke appeared around her hands, coming from the scroll, and she quickly tossed it away, the Uzumaki following her lead. _This is a Summoning Jutsu. _A large puff of smoke momentarily blinded her, and she sweat dropped. _Freaking adults._

''Hi guys.'' Iruka-sensei greeted. ''It's been a while!"


	15. Preleminaries- Waterfall Vs Leaf

''First of all, congratulations on passing!" Anko announced, when all eight teams had gathered before the Jonin, proctors and Hokage. A wave of relief washed over Gurehai when she laid eyes on the Third, somehow assuring her that Orochimaru was away, and that he had no power there.

She saw a lot of people, both familiar and unfamiliar faces in the crowd. Amongst the Jonin were Kakashi and Guy, standing side by side, confirming the latter's statement all those days ago. The leaders of teams 8 and 10 were also next to them. Anko stood next to Ibiki and another man, who looked sick. Iruka stared at them with a proud look on his face.

She also noticed ninja from other Villages, and assumed they were the other teams' leaders. Sand, Waterfall... Sound. The Sound Jonin had sharp eyes and a pale complexion, and reminded her awfully of the snake man that attacked her, Sasuke, and almost killed them both. Her injuries still slowed her down. Her left thigh hurt like hell, so much, that she created a Rock Spear and used it as a walking stick. She couldn't hold on to Naruto either, since they had to stand in lines, the one behind the other.

Naruto was up front, with Gurehai behind him, Sasuke and then Sakura on the rear. 

''Look! All Ten Rookies have made it!" The Uzumaki pointed out, looking around. Indeed, the Aoyo saw Ino, Shikamaru and Choji, Inuzuka, Hinata and Aburame, standing not too far away. She also didn't miss Lee and his team, as well as the Sand. Gaara had his arms crossed, as always, and... not a single scratch on him. _He really is something else. _She turned around before their eyes could meet, and glanced at the three Sound nin next to her. _They made it too. They are the three Sasuke beat. _One of them had his arms broken.

At last, she saw Kabuto and his team, two masked, tall boys, dressed in identical manner. Next to them, were a team of Waterfall ninja. They all looked at lest three years older than her, and she immediately recognized the brunette boy who was seated next to her during the First test. He had a long katana strapped on his back, and a tattoo on the right side of his face, resembling the left half of a heart. He had a honey-blonde girl on his arms, seemingly unconscious. She had severe injuries, and the right half of a heart tattooed on the left side of her face.

_Anko wasn't kidding when she said she would drop our number lower than half. From the 79 that entered the Forest of Death, only 25 remain, and two look like they're about to die._

''I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing.'' She whispered back, shifting her weight slightly. She didn't know what the third test would be, and, if it involved fighting, in her condition, the more the Genin, the slimmer her chance to make it through.

''Now, we will explain the third exam!" Anko said, bowing to the Hokage. Gurehai fought the smile from forming on her lips. ''Lord Hokage, if you will.'' Hiruzen stepped forward.

''Before the third test that is about to start from here on, I want to tell you all something.'' He began, finding Gure's eyes. ''It's about the true purpose of these Exams, that are, in fact, a microcosm of battle between the allied nations.'' He stated, but the white haired Kunoichi wasn't surprised, unlike her surroundings. It was just like Kabuto had said: Nations use the Chunin Exams to test each other's military strength.

''But, aren't this exams to select Chunin?" Naruto asked, obviously baffled by the new piece of information.

''There is no doubt that the exams are held for that purpose. But at the same time, it's a venue for shinobi who carry their nation's pride to fight for their lives! Feudal Lords and other people of importance are invited as guests to the third exam, in order to see the shinobi they hire for work. The Head of each nation will also be there to watch your battles.'' _So we'll have to make a show for them... Still, I don't see anyone here besides ninja. _

_''_Still.'' Inuzuka snapped from next to her, with his dog hidden inside his coat. ''Why is it necessary to fight for our lives?"  
''The nation's strength is the Village's strength.'' The Hokage replied, as Gurehai had saw coming. ''The Village's strength is the shinobi's strength, and a shinobi's true strength is only created in a fight for one's life!" She had heard that line before, during one of their training sessions. ''The exams show the abilities of our shinobi, but display them as well.''

''Then, why use the word 'friendship'?" She heard Lee's female teammate ask.

''I said it at the start, didn't I? I don't want you to mistaken the true meaning of the exams. This is the friendship of the shinobi world. A fight for one's life with the Village's pride and their own dreams on the line.'' _D__reams... I promise father, I'll make Chunin. And then, then comes the next step._

''Now, tell us the content of the fight-for-one's-life test.'' Gaara urged, his voice low and chilly, as always. _He is giving off a dirty vibe... Is it killing intent?_

''Nice to meet you, everyone.'' The sick man from before said, landing in front of them, and coughing. ''There's something I want you all to do, before the third exam...'' He coughed again, making her frown. ''...And that is a preliminary to the third exam, with participation in the main battle on the line.'' _What? No! I can't fight anyone like this...I'll... I won't make it..._

''What do you mean a preliminary exam?" Shikamaru shouted from behind her, making her turn her head. Sakura frowned as well.

''I don't understand the point of the preliminaries. Why can't we take the exam with the remaining Genin, as we are?"

''This time round, perhaps because the first and second exams were too easy, there's's too many of you left.'' He said, and the Aoyo inwardly gasped, not waiting for that answer. _I thought it was because the Feudal Lords would have to travel in order for them to watch the matches...Not this. What in the world does he mean by easy? We almost died... _''And like it was explained before, may people of importance will be watching the final exam, and so, our time is limited. The preliminaries are held to shorten the number of people advancing, and tiring them with boring matches.''

_A show we will be, indeed. _Gurehai thought, shifting her weight with the help of her Rock Spear. _I have to fight someone easy. I hate to say this, and bring myself down, but in order to be promoted to Chunin, I have to be in good health... in the final round. _

''Therefore.'' Hayate continued. ''Those of you not in top physical condition...'' He coughed again, making everyone wonder if he was okay himself. ''Those of you who want to drop out, now is the time. The preliminaries will begin at once.'' He said, making the crowd of Genin restless.

_I am in really bad condition. _She winced, as a new wave of pain erupted from her leg. _But there is no way I am forfeiting. Even like this... Even like this I have to fight. _Hearing Sasuke gasp, she turned around. To her worry, he was clutching his shoulder, where Orochimaru had bit him.

''Sasuke... Are you alright?" She carefully asked, knowing he wanted to keep the mark a secret. He looked up at her in pain, and nodded.

''Sasuke-kun, you should quit the preliminaries.'' Sakura told him, making the Uchiha and the Aoyo look at her sharply. The two engaged in a heated conversation, in which she didn't take part. Feeling eyes on the back of her head, she slowly turned around. To her surprise, after searching the crowd of people, she met the gaze of the Sound Jonin. She halted, half-confused and half-worried. He was looking at her... almost as if he was angry. _Angry. _But why would he be angry at her, since he didn't even know her? An uneasy feeling appeared in her stomach.

''Gurehai, you should quit too.'' The Haruno's voice came from behind her, and made her narrow her eyes. _Did she just call me by my name? _''You are in no condition to fight. Going against someone right now, would only make matters worse.'' Her gaze was almost pitying. ''If you don't raise your hand, then I can do it for y-...''

''Shut up.'' Gurehai snapped, slapping her teammate's hand down with a swift movement. She didn't even realize when she had gotten in front of her, and next to Sasuke. ''Sakura, I saved your god damn life.'' She growled, letting go of her dirty hand. ''So do me a favor, and don't interfere with my own.''

''But you are in no condition to fight! I know that the two of you have been enduring pain this whole time! I need to tell the teachers about Sasuke's bruise, and the only way to do it...'' She began to raise her hand, but before either of them could stop her, a voice echoed through the room.

''Me.'' A tired voice said, and all heads turned to see the previously unconscious girl from the Waterfall. ''I want to quit.'' She said through gritted teeth, obviously not happy about the decision she had to make. Taking a closer look, she saw that her eyes were a soft brown color. Seeing her right next to her teammate, the brunette with the katana, she realized they had matching tattoos, the one completing the other, to form a heart.

''Hachimi Hidari of the Waterfall Village, right?" Hayate inquired, coughing. When the girl nodded, she stumbled, almost falling back down. The boy with the katana caught her. ''You may step back.'' Her teammate scooped her up in his arms and carried her away bridal style, until a pair of medics came and took her. ''Now, if no on else wants to quit, we will begin with the preliminaries. They will be one on one individual battles.''

_24 of us left. That means, only twelve will advance to the actual third exam, and I have to be one of them. Lord Third is here. I have to show him how far I'e come. And Kakashi-sensei... I think I just might put your efforts to the test._

''The winners of those battles will advance to the third exam. There no rules, at all. You will fight until someone collapses, admits defeat... or dies.'' He explained, and Gurehai's eyes narrowed. _No rules at all. Which means... _''I suggest you admit defeat if you don't want to die. If I judge that a match is over, I will stop it. I don't want to increase the number of dead bodies.'' _Wonderful. _

Behind him, a large board was revealed. Just then, the Aoyo noticed the large sculpture next to it closely, and saw it was a wrong Ram seal. _The architect needs a smack on the head. _

''The names of two random foes will be selected, and shown on this electronic signboard. So, let's get down to it. The first two names...'' She held her breath, as the board mixed the names up. ''Yoroi Akado vs Sasuke Uchiha.'' Hayate announced, and Gurehai turned around to pat her teammate on the back.

''I don't know who he is, and I don't what he can do.'' She started, giving him a light squeeze. ''But you will beat him. I know what Orochimaru did to you... He tried to do it to me, too.'' For the first time in her life, she saw the boy's eyes widen in surprise. ''But don't let him control you. Don't let _it _control you.'' She pointed to his neck, and walked away when the proctor told them to move to the upper area.

When she reached the stairs, she sighed and bit her lip. Naruto appeared at her side out of nowhere, and placed her arm around his shoulders. ''I got you, Gure-chan!" He smiled at her, as their sensei walked to her other side. The three climbed climbed the long staircase, along with the Rookies and Lee's team. She asked from Naruto to help her sit down with her back against the wall. ''Don't you wanna see Sasuke's fight?"

''I don't need to watch to know that he will win.'' She assured him, and with on last smile, he left to stand next to Sakura.

And indeed, she didn't watch, but heard. Kakashi left their side at once when the match was over, and took Sasuke away. _I hope he and the medics find a way to make him feel better. _Next up, was one of the three Sound ninja, the one with the broken arms against Shino Aburame. She had no idea what Shino could do, but judging from the girls' squeals, she guessed he used the same techniques as the rest of his family, and came out victorious.

Next was Misumi Tsurugi, Kabuto's other teammate, and Kankuro of the Sand, the boy who trembled at the sound of her last name. To her satisfaction, she was proven right when she thought he was a puppeteer, and a good one, since he won.

''Gure-chan...'' Naruto gasped, as everyone around her turned to look at her. Kakashi, who had returned to his team without Sasuke, offered his hand to help her up. When she did, with the support of her Rock Spear, she grasped the railing and looked at the signboard.

''Yopparai Migi vs Gurehai Soraku.'' Hayate announced, and the girl watched as her opponent jumped down from the balcony on the opposite side of the room, right in front of the proctor.

''Are you sure you are okay, Gurehai?" Shikamaru pipped from behind her, with Choji and Ino at his side. He had his hands in his pockets. ''You look like you can't feel your leg.''

''That's because I can't.'' She looked nervously at her sensei, who didn't try to hide his own nervousness really hard. "This has to be over in twenty seconds." She said quietly so that only Kakashi would hear, quickly doing the math. "After that, my legs will give out, and I'll be at his mercy." She didn't wait for a reply, and walked over to the stairs with steady footsteps. Gripping the Spear so hard she thought it would break, she made it to the bottom, and made for her opponent.

Once a good deal of meters away from him, she tossed her creation aside, and it dissolved to dust and dirt. The older boy wouldn't stop watching her with his smug expression, touching the hilt of his katana slightly. _I am just easy prey in his eyes. _She thought as Hayate asked if there were any objections. _Well, I have about half of my chakra, and I can only limp. Still, that's more than enough for my plan._

"Come on, Rai!" A male voice called from above, and the girl saw Yopparai's black haired teammate grinning like a mad man. "Do it for Hachimi!" He yelled again, making the Aoyo want to cover her ears. _He's louder than Naruto._

"Don't listen to him, Gure-chan!" The Uzumaki bellowed from the balcony, ad she glanced over her shoulder to see that Lee had joined him, waving his hands around and blushing. "Send him to the medics!" _I take that back._

''Then.'' The proctor announced, taking a few steps back. ''Let the fourth match begin.''****

As fast as lightning, she performed four hand seals, and slammed her hands on the ground with a grunt. She felt her stitches rip. 

"Doton: Tajuu Doryuuheki!" She said, her voice echoing throughout the gigantic room. All around them, mud walls sprouted from the ground, creating a maze. Ranging from five to ten feet, the walls surrounded them, even keeping the proctor away.

From above, the Genin and Jonin could see everything. They saw how Gurehai merged with the walls, and how Rai unsheathed his katana, looking around him carefully.

"So this is the way of the Leaf, huh?" He provoked her, searching for her among the walls. "Hiding, cowering and not dealing with your enemies face to face?" He shouted the last part, and, if possible, his smirk widened. He turned around sharply and raised his sword, burying the blade through his opponents stomach.

She had intended to jump on him, but he had stopped her mid air.

The girl gasped, and the kunai she had been holding fell on the ground with a loud thud. She slid along the slim blade and her nose almost touched his, while the Konoha Genin started throwing a fit upon the balcony. The sword came out from her back, and the Mud Walls came crashing down.

"Gurehai!"

"Gure-chan!" 

"Gure!"

"No!"

She heard, as the boy smirked evilly. Just as he was about to open his mouth, though, his gaze fell on his fingers, where streams of dirt ran down his wrist. "What the-..." He muttered before Gurehai's body burst open, and particles of dust and dirt entered his eyes.

He cried in pain and dropped his sword on the ground, above the pile of soil that had formed upon the destruction of the Dust clone. His hands flew to his eyes, trying to ease the burning. When he tried to open them, they were bloodshot and teary.

Though, all his screaming ceased when the real Gurehai rose from the ground in front of him, her left hand forming a seal, and her right palm inches away from his forehead. Yopparai halted, his hands sliding down his face, and falling limp at his sides. Falling down on his knees with a bemused expression, his honey colored eyes focused on his opponents feet.

''What's going on?" Naruto asked, dumbfounded. Not a single sound could be heard in the arena. The Sand siblings looked at each other warily, before paying attention at the match. Kakashi gripped the railing with his hands, as Kurenai and Asuma joined his side. They were all staring at the duo with wide eyes, waiting for some kind of movement.

Gurehai's eyes were closed, her lips quivering like she was whispering something. In front of her, the older boy started shaking.

''No...please, no...'' He cried, his small voice cracking. Tears started flowing freely from the corners of his eyes, and his face contorted in pain. ''Stop it... Stop it please...'' He pleaded a little louder, enough for everyone to hear. Gurehai's thigh was bleeding. ''I-...'' An agonizing scream broke the silence, and the boy's hand flew up to his head, pulling at his hair in despair.

_''Say it, Yopparai. All you have to do, is say you give up.''_

''STOP IT! I BEG YOU, STOOOOP!" He wailed, his eyes bulging out, veins popping on his forehead. The Genin watched with terrified expressions, as the Waterfall ninja shuddered and his body trashed on the ground, but never escaping the vicinity of the inches Gurehai's palm was way from his forehead.

''What is she doing to him, Kakashi?" Kurenai gaped along with everyone else. The remaining Rookies didn't want to believe in their eyes. Their comrade was _torturing _him. ''Is it a Genjutsu?"

''Kiokugomon.'' He answered lowly, watching as the Aoyo's legs wobbled.

''NOOO!" Yopparai screamed again, his face red where blood oozed from the wounds his nails had opened. ''MAKE. IT. STOP!"

''Stop the match!" The voice of Rai's teammate managed to be heard over his screams. ''Proctor, stop the match! She's killing him!" As Hayate was about to flash next to them and force the white haired girl to stop, another heart-wrenching scream left the brunette's mouth.

''I GIVE UP!" The boy screamed at last, his voice cracking. ''I GIVE UP, MAKE IT STOP, I GIVE UP!'' And just like that, Gurehai broke her hand seal, and stepped away from his body.

The Waterfall ninja jumped down to his friend and took him in his arms, not knowing if he should wipe away his tears or blood first. Gurehai stumbled back and opened her blue eyes, clutching her leg. Team Guy watched the scene unfold with stoic expression, with the exception of Lee, who looked more than shaken up.

''I declare the winner of this match.'' Hayate coughed, extending his arm towards the Kunoichi, who fell down onto one knee with a grunt. ''Gurehai Soraku!" No cheers or comments were heard as the medics rushed in to take Yopparai away, or when Kakashi left his spot on the balcony to kneel down next to his student.

''You did great, Gurehai.'' He told her, taking her in his arms and carrying her away. He glanced down at her as her body tensed due to the bleeding wound, and walked as quickly as he could without causing her more pain. ''But it took you twenty three seconds.'' She closed her eyes with a sigh.

''I don't really care.'' She told him, and blacked out.


	16. At The Hospital

**I can't wait to see the power your Taorigan will unlock... You will make a powerful servant...**

_''Doton: Stone Shuriken!" Gurehai heard herself say, but her lips did not move. There was a sound that reminded her of metal and stone clashing, and she sat up. She tried to look around, and her gaze fell on her hands. They were pale, almost transparent, nowhere near the fair skin she was used to seeing. With no difficulty, she stood up, and wandered towards the direction of the clashing sounds-and her voice._

_She passed long hallways, made of stone and marble, while torches lighted her way. The ground under her feet was cold, and she wore no shoes. In fact, she wore nothing but a long white cloak, with a thick purple rope tied around her waist. Frowning upon her strange attire, she reached a large pair of double doors. They were wooden, with intricate patters that resembled snakes carved all over._

_**Snakes, she thought**, shivering_. _**Not my favorite animal**. She then heard a voice that made her halt._

_''Is that all you can do, Hai?" Soshimo Soraku laughed from the other side of the door, making her heart skip a beat. She pushed the doors with all her might and opened them, entering the new room with no hesitation. It was taller than the hallways, with columns and shelves filled with books over its furthest corner. Two ninjas were fighting in the middle of it._

_''Raiton: Storm Current!" She heard herself exclaim again, as the man avoided her attack. Her father looked the same as the last time she had seen him. He wore half of his graying black hair in a ponytail, while the rest of it cascaded down his back. His usual red and grey attire had been exchanged with long grey robes and small pieces of red armor adorning his arms, chest and sides, and his feet protected nothing but bandages._

_In front of him, quickly forming hand signs, was a girl. She was definitely younger than Soshimo, but still older than Gurehai by a couple of years, and coincidentally, wore white robes with a purple rope tied around her small midsection. Her white hair flowed freely on her shoulders, with only two strands of it tied back._

_''Suiton: Water Bullets!" Her velvet-like voice said, reminding her so much of her own, that she curiously stepped forward to see her face. When Gurehai did, she gasped. The girl had icy blue eyes and high cheekbones, with plump lips... and a strand of hair covering her right eye._

_She was staring at herself._

_''Doton: Mud Wall!" Her father said and a wall rose from the ground to protect him. That's... that's me... I am using Suiton. **But what... what is going on?** She felt tears threatening to fall from the corners of her eyes, but kept on staring at the duo._

_With a sharp flick of her wrist, a blade made of wind appeared in front of her older self, and was hurled towards her father, who had to jump up to evade it. **Fuuton... Fuuton too?** Someone started clapping, and both her and and her double turned to look at the tall figure resting his shoulder against the door frame._

_''Well done.'' Orochimaru praised, approaching them with a smirk on his pale lips. She watched flabbergasted, as the other Gurehai didn't react to that action. She only chuckled. When she blinked, she found herself staring through the eyes of the older girl.''You two make quite the team.'' With that the two men disappeared, a mirror taking their place._

_Looking in to it, she took in her appearance. Her pure white hair that rested on her shoulders looked smooth, and smelled like herbs and flowers. Her big eyes were framed by long, dark lashes. Her cheekbones were high, her lips plump. Her gaze fell down to her body. She was taller, her legs longer, her waist slim. Despite her robes, she could see the outline of her bust, which was large, like mother's._

_Taking a closer look, she pulled her collar aside to see the black mark on the skin of her neck_._**It looks just like Sasuke's**. When she tried to touch it, a hand clasped gently on her shoulder._

_''Come on, Hai.'' Kakashi smiled at her through his mask, their height difference not so big anymore. ''We need to work on your Katon Jutsu.'' And then everything turned black, like his eyes._

** _This can be your future, _ ** _Orochimaru whispered in her mind._ ** _All you have to do, is join me... Come with me, and it can all be yours. Accept it, accept the Curse Mark._**

When she opened her eyes, it felt like hours had passed. Her vision was blurry, and her body warm. She could feel her right leg was wrapped in bandages, but her right hand was completely fine. She brought it close to her face and examined it. It was spotless, not a burn mark in sight.

''It's good to see you're awake.'' The Hokage said from next to her, smoking his pipe. She turned to look at him with a tired smile in her face. ''The wound in your leg is almost completely healed, and your hand was treated the first day you came here. How are you feeling?"

''Like I've been sleeping for days.'' She sighed, running a hand through her hair. _How many days have I been out? _She thought, and stared at her teacher.

''Three.'' The man replied, and she realized she had spoken out loud. ''Congratulations on winning your match.'' He added, giving her a suspicious look. ''Did you work on your Genjutsu with Kakashi?" When she nodded, he stood up from his seat and walked to the corner of her bed. ''You'll probably want to know that the poor boy is alive, despite the brain damage. The medics say that he will be able to go back to his ninja duties in a few months.''

''I am glad I didn't fry his brain.'' She genuinely replied, recalling his screams in both her mind and ears. ''It didn't backfire, either. I think I'm getting the hang of it.''

''That's a good thing.'' They stayed silent for a while, staring out of the window. ''Do you want to know how the rest of the matches went?"

''Yes, that would be nice. Did Naruto and Sakura pass?" She asked, shifting in order to sit up.

''Naruto won against Kiba Inuzuka. Sakura and Ino Yamanaka knocked each other out.'' He told her, smiling. ''Kabuto Yakushi lost to Risuki Warai. Neji Hyuga won against his cousin Hinata, and his teammates Tenten and Lee lost to Temari and Gaara of the Sand, respectively.''

''Lee fought Gaara?" She interrupted the old man, eyes widening. ''Tell me.'' Hiruzen gave her an apologetic look.

''Gaara injured Guy's student badly. The boy was admitted to the hospital with serious injuries all over his body, and still hasn't woken up. All of our healers say...'' He trailed off, sighing in defeat. ''He can't continue his life as a shinobi anymore.''

''What?" She gaped, her heart skipping a beat. ''What... what did Gaara do to him?" She couldn't believe in her ears. Rock Lee, the boy who won against Sasuke, the one who protected Sakura and her unconscious body with his life... she heard that he could use neither Ninjutsu nor Genjutsu. That becoming an exceptional shinobi using only Taijutsu was his dream.

''The gourd the Sand nin carries in his back... It's filled with actual sand, which he can control. I am certain the sand itself protects him, as well. He used it to break the bones in his opponent's arms and legs.''

''And they are sure nothing can be done about his condition?" She whispered, sadly looking down at her hands. When the Hokage nodded, she sighed. ''Tell me about the others.''

''Shikamaru Nara won his match, but Choji Akimichi lost to Dosu of the Sound Village.'' Gurehai was relieved to hear that at least Shikamaru had advanced to the third round, but her eyes narrowed when she heard about the Sound. 

''Lord Third...'' She started, staring at him hesitantly. ''You know that me and team 7 encountered Orochimaru in the Forest of Death, right?" He nodded in response. ''He bit Sasuke. He gave him the Curse Mark. I know this, because he tried to bite me too.'' At that Hiruzen, tensed. ''When he introduced himself to us, I just _knew _that I had heard his name before, somewhere. And then, at some point, I realized...'' She trailed off, and them man averted his gaze from her.

''He was my student, yes.'' He said, blowing smoke from his pipe. ''A Legendary Sannin. My heart still aches for his actions.''

''But why would he want Sasuke? Why would he want me? He said...He said he knew my father. That they were quite the team.'' She clenched her fists, letting her head fall back on the pillows. Realizing she didn't really want an answer to that, she tried to change the subject. ''And he said something else, too. He mentioned a thing called 'Taorigan'.''

''That really is curious.'' He agreed. ''Do you know what the Taorigan is, Gurehai?" He asked, wondering whether or not Gureki had told her along with the truth about the Aoyo clan. He hadn't let the fact that she wore the Blue Sun on her cloak slide.

''I do not.'' She confessed. ''But if I had to guess, I'd say it's a Kekkei Genkai. By 'gan', I think it's a Dojutsu, possessed by the members of the Aoyo clan.'' Gurehai became upset. _If it really is a Dojutsu, and if it really belongs to our clan, then why didn't mother say a thing about it? _

''You are probably wondering why Gureki didn't say something about it when she explained the history of your clan to you.'' He chuckled, just as if he had read her mind. ''From what I know, your clan possessed a Dojutsu. Not many members awakened it, and that's because it was said to be dangerous.''

''_Was_?" She questioned.

''Even before the clan was torn apart, and lived in Sunagakure like the Uchihas lived in Konoha, there was no one, not even one member, to awaken it, in many decades.'' The Sarutobi said, surprising his student. ''But I think I have said enough. It would be more appropriate for an actual member of the clan to explain the rest.''

''Is mother here? At the Hospital?"

''I am afraid she returned to your house a few hours ago. She'd been in charge of Sasuke Uchiha for the weekend, so she needed rest.'' Suddenly, the girl's eyes widened.

''Sasuke!" She exclaimed, fisting her covers. ''What happened to him? Is he okay? Is the Curse Mark causing him health issues?" She received a laugh in response.

''The Uchiha is back on his feet, and the Curse Mark has been sealed.'' He told her, and she visibly relaxed. ''Currently, he is packing his things.'' Before his apprentice could interrupt him and ask for what, he held up his hand. ''He and Kakashi Hatake are leaving, to train. I can not let you in on the location. He has to train for the upcoming third Exam, which reminds me... you are fighting as well. Risuki Warai, of the Hidden Waterfall.''

''Yopparai's teammate.'' She nodded. ''When?"

''In about a month from now, on August 7. There will be five matches, the winners of those, will fight against each other, and so on. Naruto against Neji Hyuga, Sasuke against Gaara of the Sand, Shikamaru Nara against Temari, Shino Aburame against Kankuro. And of course, you versus Risuki.'' _Naruto and Lee's teammate, huh... and Sasuke... Sasuke has to fight the guy that almost killed...Lee._

''What happened to Dosu of the Sound? You said he advanced, that Choji lost to him.'' She pointed out, confused.

''Dosu Kinuta was found dead two nights ago.'' He said, and her eyes narrowed. ''The causes remain unknown.''

''Well, I have to train for the final exam, and Kakashi-sensei is gone.'' She pouted, leaving the matter of the Sound nin's aside. ''What am I and Naruto going to do?"

''Naruto is training under an elite Jonin, picked especially for him by your sensei. As for you...'' He began, turning to face her with a small smile. ''We will train together, just like before, when I finish all the paperwork for the Exams this weekend. I think it's time we develop your own Raiton Jutsu.''

''We-develop-Raiton?" She stuttered, shaking her head in confusion. ''Together? But, sensei, you said that Raiton wasn't...'' She trailed off, seeing the smirk on his face. ''Why would you lie about your chakra Natures in the first place?"

''My dear Gurehai.'' He laughed, walking away from his spot next to the window and nearing the door. ''I am a user of all five basic chakra Natures.'' He paused, watching her reaction. ''I think that the reason I lied is obvious. You need to bond with your team and not continue to train with me, the old geezer. I was trying to push you towards Kakashi.''

She was at loss of words. Not only had the old man tricked her, but he had all chakra Natures as well. All of them. He had... he had reached her goals before her. When the Hokage went for the door, she called for him, remembering her vivid dream.

''Lord Third. I need... I need to tell you something.'' She started, meeting his brown eyes. ''About Orochimaru.'' At that, he turned to face her completely. ''I had a dream, a little while before I woke up. I think he made me see it.'' She said, hoping her teacher would believe her.

''What did he say to you?" Hiruzen asked, serious.

''He showed me, rather than said something. I think he was trying to show me how my future would be, If I... If I joined him.'' The pipe almost fell from the man's lips. ''I was older. I had his Curse Mark. But that's not it. F-Father was there. We were training, together, as Orochimaru watched over us.'' She closed her eyes, and the image of her smiling father popped up in her mind. ''He said that he could make that reality, If I joined him and became his servant, if I accepted the Curse Mark.''

''Well...'' The Hokage inquired, secretly worried beyond imagination. ''What do you think about his proposal? Will you take it?"

''Of course not. My place is here, in Konoha. Besides...'' She replied calmly, a little offended he had thought she even considered the offer. ''Father is dead. Orochimaru can't bring the dead back to life. Nobody can.''

He merely nodded at her words, but on the inside, he breathed a sigh of relief. ''You should rest, for now. I will send for the medics to heal your leg completely.'' Gurehai nodded, and the Hokage walked away from her.

The door closed behind him, and she lied back on her hospital bed.


	17. Secrets- Uneventful Meetings

''Mother.'' Gurehai asked, two weeks later, sitting cross legged on her bed. ''What is our clan's Taorigan?" She bluntly added, making Gureki freeze. The woman turned around and smiled at her, taking a seat next to her. ''I know it's a Dojutsu, and that not many Aoyos had it, but... what can it do?"

''There is a variety of Dojutsus.'' Gureki started, holding on to her walking stick. ''The Sharingan can copy other techniques. The Byakugan can give the user a detailed image of one's chakra flow and chakra points. The Taorigan, however...'' She explained, staring off in the distance. ''The Taorigan can absorb chakra, and that's why it's dangerous.''

''Absorb?'' The girl's eyes widened, as she tried to remain calm. _Orochimaru wants me to awake the Taorigan, and join him. He wants Sasuke, who has the Sharingan... And he has the Curse Mark. That snake wants Sasuke to join him. _

''Exactly. But that's not why it is so terrible.'' A sad look made Gureki's face fall. ''The reason no one had awakened it in nearly sixty years, is the way you awaken it in the first place. Three others have to die.'' Gurehai gasped, not expecting that revelation in the slightest. _Kill people? But still, ninjas..._

''But shinobi kill people. How could have no one...'' She paused, thinking back to her mother's words. ''Wait... _had _awakened it?"

''Yes, had. Someone did, about seventeen years ago. The Aoyo clan used to be a clan of both ninjas and commoners, until some decided that the Taorigan should be possessed by every shinobi in the clan. Like I said, in order to attain it, three others have to die. Someone has to be killed by you, someone has to die for you...'' She stopped there, taking a deep breath. ''And you have to kill someone you love.''

''That's horrible!" The white haired girl exclaimed, her face showing disgust. ''That means... the person to awaken it seventeen year ago... was it Guretora?"

''Yes.'' Her mother replied, looking away. ''If you remember, she was a ninja, something rare for our clan members at the time. Sixty years ago, the shinobi in our clan started killing each other off, in order to awaken the Taorigan. It was a slaughter, that thankfully ended quickly. After that, the members agreed not to seek out their Dojutsu.''

''And nobody became a ninja.''

''That's right. Guretora... As a ninja, it was only natural she killed someone. The second person, though... Somebody had died for her, before she even learned to speak.'' She received a confused face in response. ''During childbirth, Guretora's mother was met with a difficult choice. The baby was coming down on its feet, and that caused many complications. My aunt had to choose; Either she lived, and the baby died, or the baby lived, and she risked giving her life on the process.''

''I can imagine what she chose.'' Then realization downed on her, and Gurehai turned to her mother with a fearful expression on her half covered face. ''Mother... I-I have killed somebody too...'' That caused Gureki to take her in her arms and caress her hair.

''That doesn't mean anything, honey, do you hear me? You are a shinobi. You will kill many in your lifetime, but I know one thing for certain: You won't sacrifice who you are for power, and who you are is a girl who loves her family and protects her friends. Nothing is going to change that.''

Gurehai buried her face on the crook of her mother's neck. _Here she is, telling me about her tragic past, reliving her darkest memories, supporting me, and all I do... All I do is keep secrets from her. How can I tell her what Orochimaru wants from me? How do I tell what he offered me? In the end, it's quite simple..._

''I have to go now. Lord Third has a few hours to spare before a meeting about the Exams, and we are going to test my new Raiton Jutsu against his defensive techniques.'' She stood up, kissing Gureki's cheek softly. _...I simply won't. _

''So you created it.'' The healer mused. ''I am still waiting for the day you show me your Jutsus, you know that?"

''I know. But I will, only when I have all five.'' She wore her cloak and sandals, letting the hood fall a little above the Leaf symbol on her headband. ''Bye.'' With that she ran off, exiting the house.

_My match is the fourth one, after Aburame and before Shikamaru. And that Risuki guy... I don't know a thing about his abilities. Lord Third said he beat Kabuto with only Taijutsu and Bukijutsu, but that can't possibly be the extent of his abilities. He's hiding something. A special Jutsu, a dangerous technique? _She pondered, walking through the streets of Konoha. Around her, children ran, women walked from shop to shop and various ninja of different Ranks headed for the Hokage's office, to give their mission reports.

_Whatever fighting style he uses, I can counter it. I no longer have injuries, so Taijutsu is in the picture. Ninjutsu has always been my area of expertise. As for Genjutsu... I don't think he will take any chances challenging me after what I did to his friend._

_And, whatever fighting styles we end up using, one thing's for certain: I have to make a show out of it. Display at least half of my abilities. That way, even if I loose to him, and not advance to the next match against another winner, the Feudal Lords and judges will have seen me fighting, and I will have a chance to be promoted to Chunin after all. _She stopped in order to let a couple of kids pass, and then sighed and started walking again, her cloak swishing behind her.

_And then, there's Orochimaru. There's no telling whether he has left Konoha or not, and he might even try to get Sasuke... and me, during, or even before the third exam. Lord Third is here, his master, and he will never let him take us, but still..._

''Excuse me, miss.'' A voice interrupted her train of thought, and she turned her head to see a young man, about twenty years old, smiling down at her. Behind him stood another boy, and for a second, Gurehai felt the urge to rub her eyes. They looked exactly the same. They had the same height, the same black hair and light blue eyes, the same facial features and posture. _Identical twins, _she realized after a second. She halted.

''Yes?" She replied, looking up at him slightly. They wore travelling cloaks, and had backpacks on their shoulders. _Travelers, here for the Exams? _When she noticed the second twin looking at the crest on her cloak, she awkwardly put her hands in her pockets.

''Could you tell me and my brother where Mintori's Inn is? You seem to be from around here.'' The first one inquired, showing her a poor excuse of a map representing Konohagakure's streets. When he glanced at her again, his eyes fell on the headband around her forehead. ''Oh, that's right. You are a ninja.''

Trying to hide her suspicious gaze, she looked away from the map and pointed at something behind his head. Turning around to see where she was pointing at, the boy let out an awkward laugh. Behind him, two blocks away on top of a tall building, was a large red sign that read '_MINTORI'S INN_' with bright yellow letters. His brother face-palmed, shaking his head.

''Forgive my brother. He can be an idiot at times.'' The other boy said, approaching them. The Aoyo remained expressionless. _They have the exactly same voice. That's creepy. _''Anyway, thank you for your help. I am Ni, and that's my twin brother Ichi.'' Gurehai mentally sweat dropped. _Their names are 'one' and 'two'? Their parents must be really creative. _Noticing Ni's outstretched hand, she almost frowned. _Is he expecting me to introduce myself? _

''OI! GURE-CHAN!" A familiar voice bellowed before she could decide what to do, making her sigh. Naruto appeared next to her, causing her to turn to him. He was followed by a tall man, who had white hair and black eyes. The head protector on his head read 'Oil'. ''Here you are! I was wondering if you wanted to-...'' He caught himself off, peering above his teammate's shoulder at the brothers, who waved at him. ''Who are they, Gure-chan?"

''Just two travelers, asking for directions.'' She replied, mentally cursing the blond for revealing the most important part of her name to the strangers that stared at the Blue Sun on her cloak a little too much. She missed the look the twins gave each other at the mention of her name. ''Who's the old man?" She asked, and the tall man, barely fifty years of age, cringed.

''Oh, that's Pervy-Sage!'' Naruto said, and she raised an eyebrow as the man panicked. ''He's training me for the Exams, you know!'' _Pervy... Sage? _She stared at him, trying to remeber where she had seen him before. 

''Is he the special Jonin you were assigned to?" She gave up on trying, recalling her teacher's words. The man was tall and well-built, but he didn't wear a Leaf headband or flak jacket, which made her suspicious.

''No, he's even better than the Jonin I was supposed to have! He's teaching me how to Summon toads!" That got her attention. _He's learning how to Summon animals? And, toads? That's interesting. _''Who are you training with, Gure-chan? A special Jonin? Kakashi-sensei ditched us for that Sasuke-teme, and I haven't seen him since the preliminaries.''

''Oh, I'm training with a special Jonin too.'' She smirked, not giving away her little secret. _Technically, I'm not lying. Lord Third was a Jonin before he became Hokage, was he not? _She then remembered her manners and approached the white-haired man, bowing her head slightly. ''Well...um... Pervy-Sage. My name is Gurehai Soraku, and I am one of Naruto's teammates. It's nice to meet you.''

The man froze for a second, and his face paled. _I guess his real name is not Pervy-Sage. _''I am Jiraiya the Gallant, the Toad Sage!" He cried, posing for no particular reason. _Aha... so he is a Sage after all. Naruto attracts peculiar individuals, as always. Wait... wait a minute... JIRAIYA?_

''Oh.'' She exclaimed, finally realizing what the man reminded her of. ''You are _the _Jiraiya, student of Lord Third. I knew your face reminded me of something.'' The Toad Sage seemed very pleased with her praise, and started grinning just like Naruto when he was about to order ramen.

''Yes, that's me! Though, if you happen to come across him, do not mention I am here in Konoha. I want it to be a surprise.'' He leaned down and whispered the last part, making the girl wonder if he had caught on on the fact that she was being trained by him. _A Sannin... did he know father as well? _Hiding her surprise, she nodded at him, and turned to her teammate. 

''What did you want to ask me, Naruto?"

''Oh, yeah! Me and Pervy-Sage are going to Ichiraku Ramen! Do you wanna come with us?" He suggested enthusiastically, eyes gleaming with joy. 

''I aim afraid I have to refuse. I was just heading to my training, which reminds me, I'm late.'' She explained, patting her friend on the back. ''I also have to go to the Hospital. I've been meaning to visit Lee for days now.'' She added, causing the boy's eyes to widen.

''Bushy Brow?" He mumbled, dozing off. ''Well, give him my 'get wells'!'' He said, taking his trainer by the arm and pulling him away. _Is that even an actual sentence? _''See you, Gure-chan!" He waved at her, ignoring Jiraiya, who hissed at him to let him go.

''Ahem.'' She heard from behind her, just as she was about to walk off. She turned her head to see the twins. _They're still here? They heard the entire conversation? _''Like I said earlier, thank you for your help. Uh, we will make sure to look out for your match in the Third Exams. Good luck!" The one that must have been Ni told her, taking his twin by the collar of his cloak and dragging him away. When they were a good twenty feet away, she narrowed her eyes at their backs and made her way to the Hokage's office.

_I am thirteen minutes late because of them, damn it. That means less training time testing the Raiton Jutsu. _She glared at the ground, walking faster. _I hope I don't burn my hand this time around too._

When she reached her destination, she passed the office and jumped down on the garden behind the building, and saw the Sarutobi waiting for her with his pipe, as always. The man stood up from his seat and took off his hat, giving her a disapproving look.

''You are late, Gurehai.'' He stated, as they both shrugged off their cloaks. The Aoyo wanted to open her mouth and tell him about her encounter with his dramatic and eccentric student, but held her tongue. Jiraiya had asked her not to tell him politely, and just like she didn't like lying, she didn't like braking promises, however small they were.

''I'm sorry, Lord Third.'' She apologized, throwing her pouches aside. ''I was held up by some travelers asking for directions.''

''I don't need excuses, Gurehai.'' The Hokage replied with an amused expression on his face. He knew that his student never lied, but was worried they wouldn't have enough time before his meeting. ''Now, enough talk.'' He got in to his fighting stance, ready to create a Mud Wall.

The girl formed a series of hand signs, and then outstretched her hand. As lightning began to take shape, she rushed forward, charging at her teacher.


	18. One Is Missing- The Finals

Gurehai was growing more impatient by each second, as she stuck by Shikamaru's side. Apart from the fact that everyone had their eyes on her and the other contestants, watching them from the spectator seats above, all Genin were there, except from Naruto and Sasuke.

She could see her mother, sitting next to Sakura and Ino, the Hokage, sitting on a balcony away from everyone else with the Kazekage next to him, and her eyes even fell on the suspicious twins from the other week, still wearing traveling cloaks. When their eyes met, they both smiled and waved at her, causing her to turn away awkwardly. Jiraiya, the man Naruto trained with, was nowhere in sight either.

Around her, Genin from the Leaf, Sand and Waterfall waited impatiently for the last of them to arrive, in order to begin. Gaara, Temari and Kankuro stood close together, while Risuki, the Waterfall ninja, waited by himself a few feet away. Shikamaru, Shino and herself sat in silence, as Neji Hyuga, who had folded his arms over his chest, had turned his back to them.

_Where in the world are those two? _She glanced around and towards the entrance of the arena, expecting for them to show up. _You are telling me that Shikamaru bothered to come, and they didn't? _

''Gather around.'' A voice said from behind them, and she turned to see a man, probably A Jonin, signaling for them to go near him. He had brown hair and wore his headband like a bandana, and was biting down on a straw. _Wait a minute... This isn't Hayate, the proctor from the preliminaries, who said he was going to be in charge of the third round... What happened to him?_

Just as she was about to open her mouth and say they were two Genin short, a loud scream was heard. In alert, she whipped around, only to see her blonde teammate sliding towards her on the ground, with a dazed expression. _For the love of..._

''Naruto, what do you think you're doing?" She demanded, while forcing him up by the back of his shirt. Shikamaru rolled his eyes from next to her, mumbling something that sounded like 'what a drag.'

''EVERYONE, RUN! THERE'S A HERD OF STAMPEDING BULLS-...'' He cut himself off, looking frantically around. When the only thing he saw was the faces of his opponents, he frowned and turned to look towards the entrance. ''I swear, there was a herd of stampeding bulls chasing after me... Wait a minute... Where's Sasuke?" Gurehai shrugged.

''I don't know, but that Dosu guy I'm supposed to fight isn't here either.'' The Nara said, and the girl's muscled tensed. _That Dosu guy you were supposed to fight is dead. _She wanted to tell him, but kept her mouth shut. That was confidential information from Lord Third.

''Hey guys.'' The proctor said in a bored tone. ''Don't be so restless. Puff out your chest and show your faces to the spectators.'' _Did he just say that to a girl? _The Aoyo thought, slightly glaring at the roaring crowd. _Remember, the only thing you have to do... Is make a show at of it for them. _Her blue eyes met with the twins' again, and she quickly averted her gaze, looking at her mother. She waved and smiled broadly at her, and she fought a smile of her own, keeping her stoic expression. ''You are the stars of this final round.''

''Everyone, thank you for coming to the Village hidden in Leaves Chunin Exams.'' The Hokage's voice boomed, making all chatter stop. ''We will now begin the final round matches with the ten that made it through the preliminaries!" Gurehai stepped forward and stood between Naruto And Shikamaru, not missing the look Risuki, who stood on the Uzumaki's other side, gave her. ''Please, watch until the end.''

''I need to show you something before we begin.'' The Jonin in front of them called, taking a paper out of his jacket. It showed the matches. ''Some changes have been made. Take a closer look at who you're fighting.'' Squinting her eyes, she saw that Dosu wasn't on the names, and that Shikamaru was fighting Temari instead. _That's kind of convenient. With Dosu, we'd be eleven, and someone would probably have to fight twice. _

''Excuse me.'' Naruto said from next to her. ''Sasuke still isn't here. What's going to happen?"

''In case a contestant does not arrive by the time of his match, he or she will loose by default.'' The Jonin explained, making her bite the inside of her cheek. _What is that idiot thinking? He's going to loose, and not even get a chance to display his abilities._

''Now listen up. The terrain might be different, but there are no rules, just like in the preliminaries. The matches will continue until one or the other dies or acknowledges defeat. However, if I judge it has been settled, I'll stop the match there.'' Gurehai and Risuki spared each other a quick glance. ''Now, for the first match. Naruto Uzumaki and Neji Hyuga. The rest of you move up to the waiting room.'' 

''Send him to the medics.'' Gurehai patted her teammate's back, smirking at the look on his and the Hyuga's faces when she repeated his words from the preliminaries. Then she followed the rest of the Genin up a few flights of stairs, to a balcony merged with the walls of the arena.

''The first match... Begin!" Genma announced, as a strong gust of wind nearly knocked her hood back. 

_I didn't stick around in the preliminaries to see the two Hyuga's fight, but I know a thing or two about their clan. Naruto just has to fight him from a distance. If he tries to engage him with Taijutsu, he's an idiot... and a goner as well. _

She gritted her teeth in anger when the blonde did just that, Neji throwing him on the ground. She wanted to shout at him, tell him what to do and help him, but she also knew that the boy needed -and probably wanted- to get through this alone. If she were him, she wouldn't want people screaming her advice too.

The Shadow Clones he sent next, although impressive, made no difference. They were destroyed, one by one. _He needs to use Ninjutsu against him, but how is that even possible, when he only knows the Shadow Clone Jutsu? His kunai are blocked, his punches and kicks turned against him, the enemy's defense absolute. _She watched, as the long haired boy repulsed the attack of eight Shadow Clones, and started hitting Naruto's body repeatedly.

_His chakra points... he can't stand anymore. _Naruto lay on the ground, when Genma loomed over him to see if he was unconscious. _No, not yet... he has-he must get up. _''Pull yourself together, Naruto!'' She yelled, and the boy stood up, as if a miracle had occurred.

He did pull himself together, releasing some of the terrifying chakra she had seen once before, in the Forest of Death. And he came out victorious, really sending his opponent to the medics. _That's my best friend. _

''Winner of this match... Uzumaki Naruto!" The crowd erupted in cheers and started clapping, while Gurehai smiled brightly and hugged him around the shoulder when he climbed the stairs and stood next to her. She leaned down.

''I knew you could do it.'' She said, and they both walked over next to Shino and Shikamaru. The crowed started growing impatient after a while, as Sasuke had yet to arrive. _What is he doing? He's still not here... Just like Kakashi-sensei... Perfect._

''Since the candidate for the next match is not here yet, we will move on to the next one.'' The proctor announced, and they Leaf Genin glanced at one another, knowing that that meant their matches were drawing near. ''The next match: Kankuro and Shino Aburame!" 

''Proctor, I abstain!" The puppeteer shouted from next to them, just when the Aoyo was about to wish her former classmate good luck. Everyone turned to him in surprise. ''I abstain! Please advance the matches!" He added, and the girl gripped the railing tight, realizing that next match, was hers.

''Due to Kankuro's abstention, Shino Aburame wins this match by default!" Genma sighed, making the crowd complain. ''The next match: Risuki Warai and Gurehai Soraku!" Just like magic, deadly silence fell over the previously raging spectators. Naruto and Shikamaru looked around curiously, only to find the majority of them looking at the waiting balcony, and more specifically, at the white haired girl wearing the Konohagakure headband. Ignoring the stares, she accepted a pat on the back by her teammate and a couple of 'good luck's from the other boys.

When she grabbed the railing with both hands, Risuki had already jumped off and slid towards the arena, leaving dust behind him. She jumped off and fell towards the ground again, performing a flip when she neared the ground. _I only have to make a show out of it. _She thought, making her way towards her opponent and the proctor, the spectators going crazy behind her.

_My father's name. Soshimo Soraku was one of the best Jonin Konoha had ever known. They're cheering for his name, not mine. Not yet. But this is the day I show myself, in front of the entire Village... and not only them. _Her eyes flickered towards the identical twins for a second, before falling on her opponent's face. He looked determined, angry and impatient.

''Are you scared?'' He asked, clearly trying to mess with her psychology. ''Perhaps you should.''

''I'm here neither to scare nor to be scared, neither to win nor to loose. I am here to become a Chunin.'' She smartly replied, digging her hands into her pouches. ''We just have to make a show out of this for them.'' She added, nodding towards the Kage and Feudal Lords, and missing the amused look Genma sent her.

''Hachimi is watching. My sensei is watching. We haven't forgotten what you did to Rai.'' Risuki growled, his hand moving back to touch his sword. ''Was that a show too?" He asked, his brown orbs glaring at her blue ones. She noted how he was a head taller than her. _He's even taller than his teammate, and doesn't appear to be as cheerful as the last time we saw each other. _

''No, it wasn't.'' She replied, her voice calm. _''_It was kill or be killed.'' The proctor pressed his lips together and sighed, secretly hoping he could have seen the Genjutsu she was rumored to have casted on the Waterfall Genin, putting him in a coma. Perhaps, he would get to see it today.

''Well then.'' He stated loudly, in order to be heard over the noise. ''Let this match begin!"

The two Genin clashed with a loud noise, kunais against kunais. They glared at each other's eyes, before the girl used one blade to swing at his neck. He pushed her away and threw his weapons to her, which she deflected. With amazing speed, he pulled out a dozen of shuriken, that came flying for her head. With wide eyes, the boy watched as she ran _towards _them, bending her body backwards at the last moment, and sliding in front of him.

He didn't have enough time to move when a kunai coated in lightning came at him, and it grazed his cheek. As the crowd gasped and cheered, he touched his small wound and gritted his teeth.

They engaged in hand-to-hand combat, occasionally swinging a blade at each other. Blocking, jumping and side-stepping the other's attacks, the moment came when Gurehai deflected a punch aiming at her neck, and back-flipped away.

_Now that I have measured his speed and reflexes, I have to move on to Ninjutsu, _she thought, when she suddenly heard someone shout. 

_''_Gure-chan, look out!" Naruto screamed, and only then did she notice the paper-bomb attached to her right shoulder. Her eyes widened, but it ignited a second later. The audience gasped and yelled, while Risuki smirked, and the Leaf Genin waited anxiously. The smoke from the explosion started to clear, and then, it was the boy's turn to gasp. 

The only thing left on the spot his opponent previously stood was a half-destroyed cloak, slowly falling to the ground. He barely had a second to turn around and place his arms in 'x' formation, because Gurehai drew her arm back and punched him with her gigantic Rock Fist.

Risuki was pushed back to were she used to stand, panting as his arms bled. Angrily, he spat on the ground next to him. _She was behind me for a good five seconds... Why didn't she use her Genjutsu on me? _He growled, and the white haired girl's Jutsu retreated to her normal skin. With her cloak off, she was now dressed in all black. _Is she... is she holding back?!_

''Damn you.'' He hissed, looking down at his injured arms. _I guess it's time... I guess it's time to bring him out... _''You really are making this a show. But I'm not done. I have... I have...'' He said, and slowly dragged his thumb on his raw flesh, drawing blood. ''Rai was always the fast one.'' He brought his hands together. ''And Hachimi, Hachimi was always the smart one.'' He glanced at his blonde teammate, who was watching him, and who nodded with a smile on her face. ''But I... I always had something else, something they didn't.''

The Aoyo carefully observed him as he made hand seals, finally slamming his hands on the ground. ''Summoning Jutsu!" Smoke surrounded him, hiding him from view. Everyone held their breath, and seconds later, Gurehai took a step back in surprise.

Looming over him from behind, was a 15-foot tall, two headed caterpillar. Women screeched in the spectator seats, and children wailed. The creature let out a shrill scream and spread its 6 pairs of legs-arms, each holding kunais. Gurehai frowned and took out another couple of kunai, instantly attacking the Summoning. She was thrown back seconds later, her legs scratched.

''How do you like my sweet Fugatama?" The Waterfall ninja smirked, seeing her distressed state. ''Born and raised, in the Village Hidden in the Waterfall.'' Then, a laugh rang through the air.

The boy furrowed his eyebrows as his opponent, who chuckled shamelessly. He growled when she placed her kunais in her pouches, the smirk never leaving her lips.

"I'm sorry." She shook her head, staring at him in... amusement. "It seems that I'll have to use a few extra pairs of arms as well." With that, she performed a hand seal, and the ground around her rose and swelled, until three tall figures took shape, morphing into her. All four Gurehais gave him the same look, while the crowd above them went wild. 

_I am finally showing myself. And this... this is still the beggining. My chakra reserves have almost doubled in size, and the pain in my chest won't hold me back anymore._

She forced Risuki out of the way with one Earth Clone, kicking him in the air and onto the walls of the arena. Genma had to step aside in order to not get hit with the caterpillar's legs, which were chopped off one by one by the Aoyo and her Clones. 

"YES! GO GURE-CHAN!" Naruto yelled from the balcony of the waiting room, just like the rest of the audience, as Sakura and Ino gaped from beside Gureki.

"That's... Gure?" Ino couldn't help but let her jaw drop, as the three Clones of the white haired Kunoichi pushed the Summoning further and further behind, and against the wall next to its summoner.

"Yes." Sakura replied, depressed, as her teammate made her and her abilities look like litter at the side of the road. "That's Gurehai."

When the caterpillar's back hit the concrete, the real Aoyo jumped back and took a breath, concentrating. _Monkey, Hare, Ram, Hare, Ox, Monkey. _She inwardly chanted, and then, lightning began taking shape in the palm of her outstretched right hand. Unbeknownst to her, the twins smiled from their seats. The Earth Clones around her dissolved to soil.

"Raiton: Storm Trident!" She stated, loud enough for everyone to hear. In her hand, lightning bolts crackled, forming a long, thick trident. Taking a running start, she threw it with all her might, at the insect's head. Fugatama the caterpillar shrieked as both his heads were now trapped between the ends of the Trident, unable to escape. With all his arms cut off, he could only trash around.

Risuki recovered from the blow and shakily stood up, eyes widening at the sight of the insect. _She thinks she has beaten us... But we are strong, stronger than she thinks. _He let out a loud, strange sound from his throat, at which the insect responded by tensing, and making its lost body parts grow back. With their help, it gripped the Trident tight and pulled at it, freeing itself.

Gurehai couldn't say she expected that, but didn't back down anyway, as the ninja and Summoning stood side by side again. Instead she shook her head with a small chuckle and locked her blue eye with his brown ones.

"I have to say, I really am impressed." She commented, and the crowd fell silent in order to hear what she was saying. "I didn't think that I would have to use it so soon, but it seems that I have no choice but to... make things a little more fair." Then she bit down on her thumb, forming her own hand seals.

From above, Hiruzen smirked, on the edge of his seat. Next to him the Kazekage frowned, recognizing the signs for the Summoning Jutsu.

"Summoning Jutsu:" Gurehai announced, slamming her right hand on the ground. With a 'bam', a large cloud of smoke enfolded her, hiding her from sight. She heard the spectators gasp, shout for their friends to look, and exclaim in surprise. As the smoke began to disappear, everyone's eyes fell on the large, tall and intimidating shadow behind her.

"Monkey King, Enma!"


	19. Waterfall Vs Leaf Vol.2

_''Summoning Jutsu:" Gurehai announced, slamming her right hand on the ground. With a 'bam', a large cloud of smoke enfolded her, hiding her from sight. She heard the spectators gasp, shout for their friends to look, and exclaim in surprise. As the smoke began to disappear, everyone's eyes fell on the large, tall and intimidating shadow behind her._

_"Monkey King, Enma!"_

The crowd went wild as the ape appeared, arms crossed, expression stoic. Gurehai herself couldn't fight back the smirk from forming on her lips, when Risuki's face fell. The Kazekage turned to his fellow Kage and stared at him in disbelief, holding back his true emotions.

''You little-...'' The Waterfall Genin spat, ready to pounce at her, when a booming voice interrupted him.

''Gurehai.'' The Monkey King called, clearly not amused by what he was seeing. ''What is going one here? Where is Hiruzen?" He demanded, looking down at the girl, who didn't expect that reaction at all. _Damn it. Couldn't he just act cool and help me out?_

''We are in the Chunin Exams.'' She explained, trying to lower her voice so that only he could hear. ''I am the one who summoned you, not Lord Third. Could you please not yell and help me out?" She pleaded, ignoring the glare Risuki was sending her.

''The Chunin Exams?" The ape wondered out loud, looking around, before his eyes finally settled on the girl's opponent and his horrendous Summoning. ''I see. Still, I don't understand why you would summon me. I thought you would be strong enough to deal with that... thing.'' He narrowed his eyes at the caterpillar. 

''I thought I would be too.'' She said, taking out kunai blades from her pouches. ''But its limbs grew back out when I chopped them off with the help of my Earth Clones, and I have almost exhausted my chakra. Besides, I had to make a good impression on the Feudal Lords. What's better than the Hokage's very own Summoning?"

The ape scoffed but smiled nonetheless, getting onto his fighting stance. ''If I am not mistaken, this is our first battle together... I look forward to seeing how we cooperate... and of course, the skills of Hiruzen's successor of the Will of Fire.'' His eyes ran over the enemies. ''I take the Summoning, and you take the boy. You said its limbs grew back?"

''Only when the Summoner gave some kind of signal to it. I'll keep him occupied while you take the caterpillar down.'' They agreed, but before they could charge at their targets, Risuki spoke.

''Is that white haired monkey your brother, Soraku? You certainly look like each other.'' He mocked, Fugatama creeping closer to his master in order to protect him. 

''Oh, I wasn't aware we were Summoning close family members.'' She called back just as sarcastically. ''In that case, is that thing your mother? You certainly have the same... charm.'' That made their audience holler with laughter, but the boy growl. Simultaneously, the two pairs of fighters charged at each other.

Enma pushed the caterpillar back with his mighty strength, swiftly avoiding its small but sharp talons. Gurehai engaged in to combat with Risuki once again, her speed clearly overwhelming the older boy, who could neither properly block her attacks, nor hold weapons, due to the wounds on his arms. The fact that she didn't finish him off, even though she could, angered him more.

A sudden screech made him loose focus, giving the Aoyo the opportunity to collide her fist with his jaw, sending him flying back. The screech belonged to Fugatama, whose left neck had just been impaled by a small, slim adamantine staff. The staff had pierced the creature entirely through, pinning his throat to the concrete arena wall behind.

Noticing that the boy had opened his mouth and was about to produce the same sound from earlier, Gurehai concentrated chakra on her feet, trying to reach him faster. The people of importance in these exams had seen plenty, and she had to save a couple of techniques for her matches to come.

She connected her foot with his head, sending him flying towards his Summoning. He hit its stomach, sliding down its long body, his head falling to the side as he was knocked out. Fugatama let out another wail, while the white haired girl and the ape joined each other on the other side of the arena, the human kneeling down, the animal standing protectively behind her.

''What do you say, King Enma?'' She suggested, addressing him respectfully. ''I put in the Earth, and you the Fire element?" Catching on to what she was proposing, Enma nodded, and they both began weaving signs. ''Doton: Soil Flow!" Soil from around the arena gathered around Risuki and his Summoning in an instant, burying the animal up to the neck, and leaving the boy's head out of the mud prison.

The Monkey King breathed in deeply and then exhaled, sending a wave of fire towards their opponents. The fire molded with the soil, creating a hard, stone-like substance, which trapped the Waterfall ninja. The caterpillar finally fell silent, and cheers erupted among the spectators.

''Winner of this match...'' Genma snapped out of his trance, shouting in order to be heard over the nose. ''Gurehai Soraku!" The victorious girl turned with a grateful smile and looked at the smirking ape, bowing her head.

''Thank you with all my heart, King Enma.'' She locked eyes with him, standing straight. ''You can return home.''

The moment he disappeared, the young Aoyo was tackled from behind and nearly fell down, but found her balance in the last second. Glancing down to see who had hugged her, she saw Naruto with his arms wrapped around her shoulders. She smiled at the sight of his grin, and decided not to tease him about his height.

''Gure-chan!" He complained, suddenly pouting. ''You didn't tell me you could summon animals too!''

''Well, since you told me you could summon toads, I thought I'd learn how to as well. Though, apes seem to be more like my thing.'' She shrugged and ruffle his hair, earning herself a playful glare.

''Well then, who taught you? I had to sign a contract with Pervy-Sage, ya know, and at first, the only thing that came out was a tadpole!" He frowned, recalling his training.

''Who taught me...'' She echoed, turning her head towards the tallest balcony, where the Hokage and Kazekage sat. Hiruzen was looking at her with a proud smile on his lips. ''Well, it was that special Jonin I told you about.'' Following her gaze, he saw the Third, and his jaw almost hit the ground. Ignoring his reaction, she patted his back and urged him to walk. ''Come on, we should go up to the waiting room. Someone will come to get Risuki out of that thing, and the next match will begin.''

Together they climbed the stairs, and Gurehai put her stoic expression back on. Two of the three Sand Siblings gaped at her with wide eyes, while the third remained emotionless, arms crossed over his chest. _To think I could intimidate them even more... it seems that I lived up to both the Soraku and Aoyo name today._

When Shikamaru's match rolled up, Gure was skeptical. She wanted to believe that one of the few boys that never bullied her was going to win, or that he even actually had chance. But with the angry-looking Suna girl as an opponent, who was a Wind Style user, his chances were pretty slim. True, Gurehai had never seen him fight. She didn't know his fighting style, his tactic. But from what she remembered from their Academy years, she couldn't recall a time he did something else rather than sleep or talk to Choji.

So, when he actually began to get the upper hand, the Aoyo was ecstatic. Never in her life had she thought that he would have such a high IQ level and so efficient strategy plans. Above all, she never thought he could outsmart anyone like that. _He used the holes Naruto made earlier to expand the length of his Shadow Paralysis. He had me worried for a minute, that idiot._

And when he had her in the palm of his hand, and she was just about to admit defeat...

''I give up.'' He announced, baffling everyone, from the Genin to the spectators. The white haired girl let her jaw drop, and then, she collected herself, slightly smirking. _In the end, he didn't loose. Everyone saw his abilities, his strategies. He made everyone cheer for him, the same people who previously yelled at him to get the match over quickly, he got them hooked on his actions. No second match is necessary. But, that means... I might be fighting either her or Sasuke next._

Next, was Sasuke and Gaara. The crowd was growing restless as the famous Uchiha didn'y show up, and even more, during the ten minutes he was given to arrive. _Damn it. If he's beggining to take after Kakashi-sensei and his tardiness, I swear I'll start showing up in team meeting two hours late too._

''Because the time limit has expired, the next match is-...'' Genma began, the dreaded moment of Sasuke loosing by default near. But then, a strong gust of wind made her hair whip around, and leaves started dancing around her and Naruto, who had jumped down to lecture Shikamaru. Making sure her right eye wasn't exposed, she turned with narrowed eyes to her sensei and teammate, who had suddenly appeared.

''Huh. You are pretty late!" Naruto laughed, as the spectators cheered for their long awaited champion. ''I thought you weren't coming because you were afraid to take me on!" _As if. They probably wanted to turn up late to make a flashy entrance, just like this._

Sasuke smirked, his eyes falling on his male and female teammates. ''Your matches... Did you win?" He asked, referring to the both of them. Gurehai nodded, a little disappointed the two members of her team weren't there to see her fight. Then again, it was a good thing Sasuke didn't know of her abilities.

''Of course we did!" The Uzumaki grinned. ''You should have seen Gure-chan! She summoned this big Monk-...'' The Aoyo clasped her hand firmly over the blonde's mouth, muffling his words.

''Idiot, stop spilling my secrets.'' She snapped, avoiding the curious gaze of her sensei. ''When Sasuke wins his match against Gaara, I'm fighting him next. Don't reveal my fighting style.'' She withdrew her hand, making Naruto pout, and Sasuke raise his eyebrows.

''Well, I know it's somewhat rude to show up late like this...'' Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck addressing Genma. _You know it. _''But was Sasuke... disqualified?"

''No, it's alright. Sasuke's match has been postponed anyway.'' The proctor replied. ''You arrived barely in time... But he hasn't been disqualified. Gaara, come down here!"

''Good luck.'' Gurehai said, before turning around and walking towards the ground underneath the waiting room, and jumping up next to Shino. Naruto and Shikamaru decided to take the stairs, while Gaara had already started making his way down. ''Aburame.'' She called, making the boy's head turn. ''You saw Gaara fight in the preliminaries. Will Sasuke win?"

Shino took a moment, staring at the arena, where the two boys stood, face to face. Then, he exhaled. ''If he is anything like you, he will.'' He replied, and then fell silent. Gurehai was a little surprised. _This must be the first time we speak to each other, despite our years at the Academy together. _

And the match began. Sasuke immediately overwhelmed his opponent with his speed and combat style, resulting to him using his sand to hide in an unbreakable sphere. _Gaara of the Sand... can use sand as a weapon? Ironic._

The Uchiha jumped back, and preformed three all-too-familiar hand signs. As lightning began to form in his hand, Gurehai turned to where her mother, Ino, Sakura and Kakashi were, only to see Lee and his sensei there as well. _Lee is up... that's good... but what Lord Third said, about him and his shinobi life... _She shook her head, focusing on the ongoing match. _Kakashi-sensei taught him the Chidori. _She thought, as the Uchiha thrusted his hand in the sphere.

Shortly after, it fell apart. The sand dispersed to reveal a wounded Gaara, who was clutching his bleeding shoulder. But Gurehai didn't have time to celebrate her comrade's achievement.

She saw feathers float all around her and the remaining Genin of the waiting room, and her eyes started to grow heavy. _Impossible! _She held them wide open, forming a hand seal. _Genjutsu? Who in the world is performing it? _''Release!" She blinked, now completely awake, only to see someone had threw a smoke bomb where the Hokage was seated.

''Lord Third!" She yelled, jumping out of the balcony and running along the concrete walls, trying to reach him. Masked Anbu got there first, but were too late. Shocked, Gurehai saw the Kazekage hold her teacher by the neck, pointing a kunai at his throat. _No... what is going on? Almost everyone is under a Genjutsu... and the Sand... the Sand... Mother..._

_''_Gurehai!" She heard Kakashi's voice from afar. ''Do not engage! The Anbu have it covered!'' She snapped her head towards him in despair, but saw they were surrounded by enemy ninja. _Sound shinobi? Wha-... _Above her, a purple barrier rose, trapping the Hokage and Kazekage. One of the Anbu that attempted to get through, burned alive.

Catching glimpse of a flash in her peripheral vision, she outstretched her arm, blocking the kunai aiming for her head with one of her own. The attacker was a Sound ninja, wearing a mask and purple and grey attire. Glaring at her, she slashed at her, cutting off a few hairs.

''Little brat... You are no ordinary Genin, are you? No wonder Lord Orochimaru wants you.'' The ninja growled, making her gasp. _Orochimaru? He is here? _Instinctively, her head turned towards the Hokage and his captor, only to see that Orochimaru had taken the Kazekage's place. _No! He's trapped in there with that snake!_

She growled at her attacker and pushed him back, throwing her now lightning covered knife directly at his chest. The blade penetrated him and he fell from the height they were standing straight to the ground, about twenty feet below. A sudden stinging pain erupted in her right eye, causing her to almost loose balance.

She landed next to the body of the Sound ninja and touched her covered eye, slowly feeling the pain go away. The second it stopped, a rain of shuriken flew towards her, and she took out two kunais, one in each hand, deflecting them. Instantly, another ninja attacked her, and they began dancing to the lethal song of clashing metal.

Soon after, a second enemy joined him, and Gurehai was suddenly battling the two of them. Barely managing to block their attacks, she didn't see the first one forming hand signs, and she was thrown back by his Suiton Jutsu. Her back it the concrete wall, her clothes soaking wet.

''You are coming with us!" They yelled, charging at her with their fists raised. Too weak to raise her arms to block their attack, she gritted her teeth end closed her eyes, waiting for the impact.

But it never did. Hearing a grunt and a thud, she hesitantly opened her eyes...

...And saw two tall figures standing protectively in front of her, both with black hair, and the same posture. Her eyes widened when they turned their heads slightly to look at her, identical smiles on their faces, identical shines in their blue eyes. She took a shaky breath.

''You... you are the strangers from the other day...'' She finally said, as they pulled out kunais from their clothes. ''The travelers... you are... why are you...'' She mumbled, as another pair of Sound ninja approached them menacingly. Ichi and Ni smirked, getting ready to fight back.

''Yes, that's us.'' They laughed simultaneously, taking hold of their cloaks' collars, and pulling at them. ''You...'' They threw their grey traveling cloaks away, revealing the black and grey tunics they wore underneath, as well... as well as the blue suns they had on their backs.

''...You may call us your cousins.''


	20. Family Ties

_"You may call us your cousins."_

Gurehai could only stare at them in disbelief, as they battled the Sound shinobi. She wanted to laugh at them, she wanted to yell at them, she wanted to smile and say she was glad she could finally meet them... But she only stood up, with a determined expression on her scratched face, and helped them take out the enemies.

_They don't kill them, _she noticed, as her breathing began to get labored. _They knock them out, they injure them, but they don't kill. But why? They are our enemies. _She formed hand signs quickly and jumped, stepping on her opponents head. Launching herself in the air, she avoided the stone spikes that protruded from the ground and pierced right through his and one of his comrade's bodies. _Wait a minute... they are Aoyos... they are from he Sand... why are they helping out, when the Sand and Sound have obviously formed an alliance to destroy us?_

She fell down with a grunt before she could question them, clutching her right eye in pain. It stung, even worse than before. She hissed when one of the twins jumped in front of her, kicking a Sound nin away._ Why is this happening to me? What are these waves of pain? And why only in that eye?_

''Gurehai!" The twin that had jumped in front of her called out, glancing at her from over his shoulder. ''Don't kill them, only knock them out! Taking their life will only make the pain worse!" He said, and disappeared to fight the man he had kicked away. The girl shakily got to her feet, deflecting the shuriken that came her way.

_How does he know that? Could it be... Is it the Taorigan? _

''Duck!" The other boy shouted, and she barely managed to do so as a fireball flew above her head, slamming the ninja that was about to attack her from behind on the wall. Getting back up, she saw another flying for her cousin's head, and took a running start.

''I need a push!" She yelled at him, and the brunette quickly elbowed his opponent and folded his hands together, for her to step on. Then she launched her in the air, where she collided with the attacker, and they barreled together downwards. At the last second, she kicked him off, and he hit the ground with a gasp. Back flipping away from his body, the three Aoyos were now standing back to back.

''Why are you doing this?" Gurehai asked, but didn't gave them time to answer. ''You are with the Sand, and the Sand is attacking the Leaf. If you really are from the Aoyo clan, then-...''

''Our names are Gureichi...'' The one on her right cut her off.

''...And Gureni. We aren't here with the Sand. We are here _for _it.'' The one on her left finished, pushing away more enemies. ''Orochimaru tricked them. He tricked everyone.''

''Unbeknownst to them, he killed our Kazekage, and took his place... and face.'' Gureichi added, sending two ninja away with a Fuuton Jutsu. ''Of course, we couldn't tell anyone that. They would report to Orochimaru, pretending to be Lord Rasa, and we'd loose our heads, before we could inform anyone else-...''

''And before we could meet you.'' Gureni said. ''That would probably be worse.''

''Wait-stop. What are you saying? How did you even know about the Kazekage's murder? You know what? I don't really care. But now he's up there, fighting Lord Third!" She cried, ignoring their advise, ignoring the dead body that fell on her feet, ignoring the pain in her eye. She ran away from them and looked away, at first towards the spectator seats.

She saw Kakashi and Guy, fighting side by side. Her mother lay near them, asleep on the benches. _Please, don't let anything happen to her. _Then she turned to the purple barrier that had been created around her teacher and the snake. Inside, she saw the Hokage in his battle attire, fighting two unknown men, who previously weren't in there with them.

_Who are they? One wears red, the other blue... dark brown and white hair... no, it's red and blue armor... No way... They have Konohagakure headbands... The First and Second Hokage! They are alive!?_

\----

Hiruzen struggled to breathe as the branches of Hashirama's Jutsu wrapped around his chest and neck. He had drown the blood, he had formed the signs, now the only thing he needed... was to touch a solid surface. 

''You are finally caught, eh, sensei?" Orochimaru taunted, with the two Hokage by his side. ''Now, it seems that it won't be long until young Gurehai comes with me... I see she has already killed a handful of those ninja, too... My, my, the power I'll have in my hands!''

''You will never get her, Orochimaru!" The Sarutobi shouted, lamming his hand against the wood that was keeping him in place. ''Summoning Jutsu!" Smoke surrounded him, and the Sannin growled. ''Come forth, Monkey King Enma!" Once again, the king with the white fur appeared.

''Sarutobi...'' The ape said, looking down on their enemies. ''I knew this day would come... And it's all because you didn't kill him back then!" He growled, before transforming into the Adamantine Staff, and braking the current Hokage out of his restrains.

''Let's go, Enma... I'll kill him now, for the Village... and Gurehai!"

\----

_''Lord Third.'' A young Gurehai called, making Hiruzen turn to her slowly. They were both at his office, waiting for him to be over with his work so they could train. She pointed to the wall of his office, were four framed pictures hang. ''They are the Hokage, aren't they?" She asked, squinting her eyes. ''They look like the Stone Faces, a lot.''_

_''Exactly, that's them. My teachers, Hashirama and Tobirama, and one of my student's apprentices, Minato.'' The old man explained, pointing to each picture respectively. ''The third one, of course, is me.'' He added, smoking his pipe with a proud smile on his face, which disappeared soon after._

_''You look too old compared to the others.'' The girl commented, making the Hokage cough. ''But, anyway... If you were taught by Lord First and Lord Second, and Lord Fourth was your student's student... Does that mean that I will have to become Hokage one day as well, seeing that I am your apprentice?"_

_The man was intrigued by that question, and her facial expression while saying it. She looked almost... worried. ''Well, that depends on whether or not you want to become one.'' He told her, watching her carefully. ''Do you?"_

_''Well, not really...''_

_''Oh? And why is that?"_

_''It's... it's just something father once told me.'' She replied, a little uneasy. ''About the Hokage and his responsibilities... we were talking about them on top of the Stone Faces, and it didn't really appeal to me. It still doesn't, to tell you the truth.''_

_''Oh, that's alright.'' He laughed, trying to get her out of her uncomfortable position. ''Anyways, you said you had a different dream. I wouldn't want you to get distracted and leave it aside, now, would I?" His student's face lit up._

_''No, of course not!" She laughed, turning her back on the pictures. ''Now, stop talking. You have all that paperwork to finish before we can train, and mother said to be home before 8!"_

''LORD HOKAGE!" A shout snapped her out her daze, and she quickly shook her head and focused her attention on top of the roof Hiruzen was. Huge branches and roots had covered the entire inside of the barrier, making it difficult to see what was happening inside. Gurehai took out another kunai and made for the concrete wall, in order to reach her teacher.

''Gurehai, don't!" Someone grabbed her wrist from behind, stopping her from climbing. She turned her head angrily, and saw one of the twins, looking down at her with a warning look. ''You can't go up there!" He almost pleaded, but that only made the girl more upset.

''Let go of me.'' She hissed, swiftly taking her hand out of his grasp and jumping away. He tried to go after her, but had to turn around and block one of the Sound ninja's attack.

Gurehai ran up the tall wall while focusing chakra on the soles of her feet, jumping on the balcony the Kage previously observed the matches from. There she came face-to-face with another enemy, who, upon her rage, was mercilessly kicked away, and crashed on the white wall behind him, cracking it.

She then grabbed hold of the roof's pediment, and swung her body up. Landing on the golden roof, she saw three masked and hooded Anbu, watching the battle unfold carefully. One turned towards her, and she could hear the surprise in his voice.

''Hey! You are th-...''

''What's going on in there?" She cut him off, kneeling down next to him and his comrades. ''How are the previous Hokage here?" She asked with worry in her blue eyes, trying to make out what was happening inside the barrier. Her teacher had created two Shadow Clones, and they were currently holding on to Hashirama and Tobirama, who had started turning to ash.

''Orochimaru performed a Forbidden Jutsu. The Reanimation Jutsu, which brings a soul into a dead body. The First and Second Hokage were summoned, and have been fighting Lord Third ever since.'' One of the Anbu explained, making the girl's eyes widen.

She remembered her dream, from back on the day she woke up in the hospital. Orochimaru had showed her her 'future', the one she could have if she joined him. Her father was there, but her father was dead, and there is absolutely no way anyone could bring the dead back to life... unless. _That snake was telling the truth... he... he could bring him back, and we could be together...No! Snap out of it, Gurehai! He is the enemy, and Lord Third is dying!_

A pained grunt was heard and she blinked rapidly, her eyes widening when she saw her teacher, who had taken hold of his former student, being impaled by a sword.

''Lord Third!" She yelled, stumbling to get up and approach the barrier. From the inside, the man turned his head to her slowly and gave her an apologetic smile. ''King Enma!" She then exclaimed, seeing the ape on the ground, trying to pull the sword out of his summoner's body. ''Help him, please!" She received a grunt in response, making her even more distressed.

Growling, she jumped past the cowering Anbu, standing at the opposite side of Orochimaru. 

''What are you doing, girl? One of us Anbu that tried to pass through, burned alive!" The Anbu yelled at her, making futile attempts to stop her. She set her legs a few feet apart to gain balance, and performed the hands signs. _Ox, Hare, Monkey._

She growled as lightning began forming in her right hand, becoming brighter, and brighter. Her mind traveled to the people she killed, when she felt her chakra being drained. ''Come on!" She screamed at no one in particular, frustrated with the lightning that was starting to fade. ''Come. On!" With a blinding flash of light, the blots turned pure white, crackling with the sound of a thousand birds.

''Stop!" She heard someone shout, but focused even more chakra on the technique. Her right eye, still covered with her white locks, began to burn uncontrollably.

''If this thing once cut through a bolt of pure lightning, then it sure as hell can cut through this stupid barrier!" She yelled, trying to keep her lightning chakra stable, and ignoring the stinging pain in her eye.

From bellow, Kakashi stared up at the rooftop in shock, with Guy by his side. He could see the faint outline of his student's body, almost completely surrounded by pure white lightning. _What is she doing? And where is getting all that ridiculous amount of chakra from? I thought she was almost drained! _Everyone gasped in shock when a thunder boomed around them, and bolts started escaping Gurehai's control, destroying the golden tiles below her.

''CHIDORI!" She bellowed, thrusting her hand upon the purple barrier. 

A blinding flash of white, blue and purple made the shinobi around her close their eyes, as she completely destroyed the Sound Four's formation. The four Sound ninja instantly jumped away, heading for their master, whose arms had started to decay. 

''You snake!" Gurehai hissed at the Sannin in disgust, when she saw her teacher fallen on the floor. ''I'm going to kill you!" And she ran towards him, aiming her lighting covered hand at his head. The man's eyes widened, a horror-stricken expression on his pale face. 

But her hand collided with something else.

One of Orochimaru's soldiers, the one with six arms, jumped in front of her and his master, and made the Chidori pierce him instead. One of his left hands fell down with a sickening splutter of blood, and his fat teammate grabbed Orochimaru and ran away. She was kicked back slightly by another, grey-haired man, who glared at her and sent her down.

Gurehai made no move to go after them, but the Anbu did. Instead, she inhaled shakily and tried to control her erratic breathing, hurrying to her teacher's side. Kneeling down, she blinked away the tears in her eyes and placed her hands softly at his chest, looking at the seal that had formed on his abdomen.

''Lord Third... no,no you can't... you can't die, please!" She cried, but forced her tears back. ''Please, please, please, I already... I've already lost one father...'' Her voice cracked, and sniffed. Her vision grew blurry. ''No! You were supposed to be there, you were supposed to be there when I became Chunin! You were supposed to hand me my Chunin vest, and congratulate me, and... and be there to see me attain them all...''

''My dear Gurehai...'' A hoarse voice said, making her snap her head up. She saw her teacher looking at her with his tired brown eyes, that were half-open. He coughed up blood. ''My dear Gurehai... to me... to me you were a Chunin the day we created your first Jutsu together, all those years ago...'' He coughed again, giving her an exhausted smile.

''Sensei..'' She whimpered, staring at his warm eyes.

''It really... it really is a shame... you won't become my successor.'' He manged to say, taking a look at her for the last time. ''Y-you would have been... a great Hokage...'' He coughed again, and the white haired girl wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. ''I am... so, so proud of you.'' And his eyes closed.

The young Aoyo felt cold, and empty, and tired all at once. Her body felt numb, her head heavy, her heart shattered to a million pieces. She hadn't even noticed when her hands had began to shake, but they stopped, too.

Gurehai closed her eyes shut and took a deep breath, as silence fell around her. Enma, who was still laying on the ground a few feet away, remained silent as well. She let her hands fall on her lap, and lowered her head. Not letting a single tear fall, she stayed close to her teacher's body.

And that's how the Anbu and Jonin found her, a few minutes later.


	21. A Visit- Revelations

Hiruzen's gentle face was pale and cold, too stiff, his expression too blank. She could feel the Jonin's eyes on her back and head, filled with pity, sympathy, sadness. She started to grow aware of a tingling sensation on her right arm. Looking down, she saw her skin riddled with burns marks, all the way up to her bicep. The were long and narrow, shaped like lightning.

But she didn't really feel.

She heard voices. They were probably calling her name, telling her to get up, or that it was time to go. She blocked all noises out, and kept on looking at him. Kept on looking at her other, dead father.

_Am I cursed? _She clenched her left fist, noticing a flash of short grey, and long white hair. _First father, who I abandoned, and then Lord Third, who I failed to save. Everyone is slowly dying. Who will be next? Naruto? Kakashi-sensei? Mother?_

Suddenly, the man's face began... melting away. Underneath, pale skin and high cheekbones started showing, as dark, greasy hair flowed out of the helmet the Hokage was previously wearing. She stood up as fast as she could, stumbling back. 

Orochimaru's perfectly still face taunted her from below, his sadistic, snake-like eyes staring at her blue ones. With a sick grin on his lips, he looked almost _happy_. She stared at him in fear and disgust, slowly backing away. A gentle hand rested on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw the same long white hair as earlier, and red markings.

''He's not real, Gurehai.'' Jiraiya assured her, the sorrow in his black eyes equal to her own. She only looked back at him with tears threatening to spill from the corners of her eyes. Slowly, she turned to the body that used to be her teacher. When she did, she gasped.

Pale green eyes were staring back at her.

\----

Gurehai opened her eyes slowly. She was in her room, and it was dark, the shutters closed. She lay there, staring at her grey ceiling. _It was a dream. Orochimaru isn't here. **He **isn't here. But... but Lord Third is still dead. _

She threw the covers off her body and sat up, letting her feet touch the wooden floor of her bedroom softly. Rubbing her eyes, she walked to the bathroom. Splashing water on her face, and gripping the edges of the sink, she bowed her head, letting the droplets drip down her chin and nose. Looking back up, she was met with the image in the mirror.

_How many times have I done this? _She asked herself, tucking the hair that was hiding her right eye behind her ear. Her white hair fell down on her shoulders, as always. Her icy blue eyes were dull. But her face wasn't the usual expressionless mask. The mask was sad, and tired. And Lord Third wouldn't be there to crack it. Never again.

She then looked at her raised, right arm. Her skin was bare, but not scarred. Her mother had made sure of it, immediately after she and the rest of the spectators were woken up. They day before the funeral.

Oh, the funeral.

She wanted to tell her mother she didn't want to go. She would surely understand, when she'd tell her that she would rather stay home, grieve by herself. But she didn't. She wore her black kimono, and followed her friends on top of the Hokage building.

She didn't miss Sakura's look of pity, or her mother's look of concern. She ignored the Jonin around her, looking at her like she would break at any minute, and she ignored Konohamaru's sobs. She focused her gaze on her teacher's photograph, even ignoring the ones of the fallen shinobi around his. 

Her mind was clouded with thoughts, unwanted scenarios of situations and conversations. _One I have to kill. I have killed many. One has to die for me. Did Lord Third die for me? No, he died for the Village. He died so I would not go with Orochimaru, who would abuse my power and destroy everything._

_Did father die for me? I don't know. He told me to run. And I did. But why were those Akatsuki members there? What are they, even? Are they dead? Are they alive? What is the Akatsuki's purpose? Lord Third failed to mention that, and, as always, I would never ask._

_One I love, has to die by my hand. And that's exactly why I will never seek to awaken it. Enough people I love have passed away, and I don't want to lower their number._

_Taorigan... why are you doing this to me?_

''Honey?" She heard a knock on her door, and blinked. How long had she been standing there? ''Could you come down for a minute? Someone... someone is here to see you.'' She added, making the girl frown. Who could it possibly be? Naruto? Her team?

But when she climbed down the stairs and stepped foot in the living room, she saw the person she expected the least. 

''Jiraiya-san?" She asked, confused. The tall man smiled at her and his eyes twinkled, with a light she hadn't seen from their first encounter. _And to think I saw him in my dream._

''Oh, Gurehai, good morning! And please, just call me Jiraiya.'' He greeted, and the girl noticed he was carrying his usual gigantic scroll on his back, as well as a backpack. ''If you wouldn't mind, I would like to speak to you for a while. I hope, Gureki-san, that you don't mind, do you?"

''No, no. You two can sit outside, on the porch. I'll bring you a cup o tea, in a little while.'' Gurehai was about to protest, when she saw she was wearing her prosthetic, and not walking around with the help of her stick. She spared one last glance at her mother and turned around, opening the door for the Sannin to pass.

Once outside, the Aoyo sat down on the wooden porch and and motioned for Jiraiya to sit down as well. When he did, now in front of her, she sighed. She opened her mouth to ask what he wanted to talk to her about, but he spoke first.

''First of all, I want to tell you that it wasn't your fault.'' He said, surprising her. ''The Hokage knew what he was getting himself into, the moment he stepped into the fight with Orochimaru. I don't think I would have been able to do anything, as well. Risking his life in order to stop him, was his own choice. So, don't blame yourself. It wasn't your fault.''

''Huh.'' She chuckled humorlessly, looking at her hand. Her healed hand. ''It's kinda difficult not to.'' She stated truthfully, making the man frown. ''A part of me knows no one is going to blame me. Especially when no one tried to save him, too.'' She looked up to meet his eyes. ''The other, wants them to blame me. Even a little, for not being better, faster, stronger. And...'' She trailed off. ''...I certainly didn't expect someone like you to be so calm.''

''Someone like me?" Jiraiya raised an eyebrow.

''You were his student, just like me. If I were you, I would probably be a little mad at the girl who failed to save the man who made me a shinobi.'' Her eyes fell on the round again, the Sannin watching her carefully. Finally, he sighed.

''I could never be mad at my goddaughter, now, could I?'' He breathed out, and laughed at her dumbfounded expression. ''Yes, that's right. How could you know. I was never really around, anyway.'' He mumbled to himself, giving her a smile. ''You probably don't even know this, but me and Soshimo... we were close friends.''

''Close friends... and partners?" She suggested, hesitating. ''Oroch-...'' She cut herself off, taking a deep breath. ''Orochimaru once mentioned to me that he and father used to be close allies, and that they made 'quite the team'. You are a Sannin, and so is he. It's only logical that you went to missions together, along with my father.''

''Thank you, Gureki-san.'' The Toad Sage nodded when the older Aoyo placed a tray with two cups between them, smiling. She then backed away and entered the house, looking at the two white-haired ninja sitting cross-legged on the floor. ''And, not only that, but were were dear friends as well. Despite our age gap, we got along very well.'' He said to the girl, taking a sip of his tea.

''Age doesn't really mean anything, when it comes to human relationships.'' She chuckled, drinking from her cup as well. ''Mother and father had an age difference of nearly fourteen years, but, from what I've been told, and from what I remember, they were a loving couple. How old are you, Jiraiya?"

''Turning 51, this very November.'' He replied, feeling a little old.

''Then, you were four years older than him, and thirty six older than me.'' _He would have been 47 this year... huh. _''How did you come up with the name Gurehai, anyway? I mean, it's so creative.'' She jabbed at him, sipping her drink with a small smirk on her lips.

''Now, that...'' The man sweat dropped. ''Grey Ash? Well, it had to start with 'Gure'. And your hair was grey, like ash, too, so...''

''I know, I know. Don't apologize.'' She seemed to get lost in thought, and then her face turned serious again. ''Anyways... you said you wanted to talk to me about something... what is it?" Jiraiya paused, buying some time by drinking his tea.

''First of all, I wanted to see you. As your godfather, I've missed on more than enough birthdays, so I figured I'd give you something... or rather, some things.'' He took of his backpack, and opened it carefully. ''Here, for starters.'' He said, handing a book to her without looking, but searching inside his backpack instead.

Gurehai eyed the small book carefully and then took it, examining its orange cover with a suspicious gaze. Turning it in order to read the hypothesis, she was met with a big, red prohibition sign. She frowned. _Icha Icha Paradise? Wait..._

''Isn't this the weird book Kakashi-sensei is reading all the time?" She asked herself quietly, but the Sannin heard. Terrified, he stopped searching in his backpack and raised his head, just as the girl was about to open it to the first page. His eyes widened, face turning red.

''NO!" He yelled. ''NOT THAT ONE!" He snatched the book from her hands quickly, his scream making birds sitting on nearby trees fly away. He immediately put another book in her empty hands, this time with a brown cover. 

''The Tale Of The Utterly Gutsy Shinobi?" She read out loud, the title actually picking her interest. ''I've never heard of it before. Who is the writer?" She wondered, skipping to the last page of the book. There, she was met with Jiraiya's smile. ''What? You wrote it? I didn't know you were a writer.''

''Well, this one didn't sell many copies. But I thought you would enjoy it.'' He scratched the back of his head, still flushed from his earlier mistake. _Saved at the last moment... _He prayed in his mind, pulling another, larger package from behind his back. ''And now, this one.''

The parcel was white, with a bright red ribbon over it. She took it and placed it between her legs, opening the lid. Inside, she saw a grey and light blue fabric. Her blue orbs widened, and she picked the item up.

''Where... where did you get this?" Her eyes watered, and she stood up, holding up the cloak in order to inspect it closely. It looked identical to her previous one, the one destroyed during the Third Exam, but something was different. The light grey color was replaced by a much darker shade, one which she could never forget. ''This... this is...''

''...Made from the Third's battle attire, yes.'' The Sannin smiled at her reaction, noting how her eyes lit up at the sight of the garb. It was grey almost everywhere, besides the trimmings, which were all an icy blue color, like her eyes. The hood was also mainly blue, with a thick stripe running down to it. On its back, between the shoulder blades, was the proud Blue Sun of the Aoyo clan. ''I had it made, and brought it as soon as I could. Let's say... Happy late birthdays?"

''Thank you.'' She could only say, holding her present close. ''Also... what's with the large backpack? These two alone couldn't possibly need so much space.'' She pointed out, holding the book on her left, and the cloak on her right hand.

''Hmm, you are very observant.'' Jiraiya hummed, standing up next to her. ''You are right, yet again. This backpack contains my belongings. Me and Naruto are leaving the Village for only a few days, hopefully.'' He shrugged at the last part.

''Leaving? For what purpose, if I may?" 

''To bring the Fifth Hokage in the Village, of course.'' He stated, with a proud smile on his face. 

''The Fifth Hokage?" She echoed, furrowing her eyebrows. ''They aren't here, in Konoha? Who is it going to be?" She asked, curious. _It really... it really is a shame... you won't become my successor... Y-you would have been... a great Hokage... _She shook her head, trying to get the previous Hokage's last words out of her head, and waited for her godfather's response.

''She's been away, just like me, for quite a few years.'' He stared off in the distance, looking at the bright blue sky, which in no way reminded the day of Hiruzen's funeral. At the mention of the word 'she', Gurehai's expression changed into one of surprise. ''She is Tsunade, my fellow Sannin.''

''The third Sannin, huh?" She looked at the sky as well, lost in her memories. ''Why weren't you recommended? I mean, Orochimaru can't be the Fifth for... obvious reasons, but... you are a Sannin too.''

''Oh, but I was asked to become the Hokage.'' He said, shrugging once again. ''But I denied. As a writer, I have to travel, and being the leader is not really my specialty. Tsunade will be perfect for the position, I assure you.'' He explained. ''She will want to meet you, as well.''

''Me?"

''Of course. She knew Soshimo as well, and, you were taught by our sensei. I have no doubt she'll be interested in you and your abilities.'' _She might even be the one to make you a Chunin, _the tall man thought, looking at his goddaughter without her noticing. 

''I want to meet her as well.'' Gurehai said, turning to face him completely. ''Again, thank you for the gifts.'' She added, glancing at her knew cloak once more. ''Tell Naruto I wish him good luck on your journey. I hope the two of you and Tsunade come back safe.''

''I will make sure to remember that.'' He laughed, skipping the few wooden stairs in front of them, and heading for the exit of the two Aoyos' property. ''See you soon, Gurehai!" He shouted, waving at her from afar.

''Yes.'' She mumbled, watching him disappear slowly at the end of the road. ''See you soon, Jiraiya.''


	22. Grief- The Akatsuki

_It really... it really is a shame... you won't become my successor... Y-you would have been... a great Hokage... _

Thump.

_I am... so, so proud of you..._

Thump.

_You will be able to do anything, Hai. Gureki and I believe in you._

Thump-thump.

_Today, we will begin the creation of your very own Doton Jutsu, Gurehai. Pay close attention, to what I am going to say._

Thump.

_I wouldn't want Gureki-san to scold you, now, would I? Go home. We will continue tomorrow._

Thump-thump-thump.

''Damn it.'' Gurehai hissed, as none of her kunai found their mark. She had been practicing for over an hour, and none of her shuriken seemed to want to hit the target. ''What's wrong with me?" She looked down at her right hand. Her healed hand. For a second, pure white lightning flashed in her memories. ''I've been at it for days.'' She glared at her missed shots and huffed, falling down from the branch she was sitting upside down on.

Days had passed since the Third passed away, almost a week. Konoha was still in shambles, the citizens barely keeping it together, trying to build everything that was destroyed. She had been leaving her house every morning a little after sunrise for the last three days, and she hadn't talked to any member of her team, either. She knew Naruto was going to leave with Jiraiya any day now, and that Kakashi, as a Jonin, had missions, but she had no clue about Sasuke and Sakura. For the latter, she didn't really care.

Her knew cloak pooled around her, as she landed onto one knee. She had her hood drawn back, her protector around her forehead. The cloak's dark grey color caught her eye, and for a moment, she thought she'd seen her teacher, waiting for her to make the first move on their sparring match.

Blinking the mirage away, she closed her eyes and sighed, feeling a lump form in her throat.

''What to you want?" She growled, swallowing. ''Do you... do you want me to cry?" She demanded, clenching her fists. ''Weren't you the one who taught me that a shinobi must never cry? Weren't you the one who I promised... who I promised I would never cry like a pathetic little girl in my life? WEREN'T YOU?" She yelled, opening her eyes, in order to stop his image from appearing in her mind.

But when she looked up, he was still there, right in front of her. Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at her with his small, amused smirk, and as always, smoking his pipe. He had a ghostly glow around him, like he was emitting strange chakra. She inhaled sharply, balled her fist, and charged at him.

''Do you want me to say I'm sorry? Sorry I couldn't get there in time? Sorry I couldn't save you?! I'VE NEVER BEEN MORE SORRY ABOUT ANYTHING BEFORE!" She came to a halt when her fist was an inch away from his face, and her shoulders shagged, as she let her hand fall down to her side.

''Do you want to know why I didn't grieve? Why I didn't weep during your funeral, like everyone else? Like your son, and your grandson, and the rest of Konoha? Why I acted so calm, so collected, while on the inside, I was falling apart, all over again? That was because I didn't deserve to! BUT I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!'' The Third Hokage kept looking at her as she sank on the ground and on her knees, hitting the forest floor with her fists.

''DO YOU WANT ME TO BE HAPPY, AND SAY IT WAS YOUR CHOICE? TO GO ON, AND LIVE MY LIFE, LIKE YOU WERE NEVER A PART OF IT, JUST LIKE HIM? I WON'T!" Letting the hot tears in her eyes ran down her face, she grabbed a handful of fallen leaves and grass,clenching her fists. ''CAN YOU SEE ME CRYING NOW? CAN YOU SEE HOW I HATE MYSELF? DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY, WHEN I'VE NEVER HATED ANYONE BEFORE IN MY LIFE?" The girl took deep, shaky breaths between her sobs, her chest heaving.

''IT'S...IT'S... it's because I loved you!'' Her voice cracked, hoarse from the continuous screaming, her throat dry. ''I loved you, more than him, I mourned for you, more than I did for him, because you were there for me, more than him! You were there when he died, and you were there when I was alone, and when I was bullied at the Academy, and when I wanted to become like him... But now... now...''

She sobbed, raising her head, her white locks falling in front of her eyes. The sky was clear blue, and the sun burned bright, as always. She didn't like the sensation of her eyes stinging and her face being wet with tears.

''But now... what if I want to become like you?" She finally whispered, a soft breeze blowing through her hair, making her right eye visible. She instantly lowered her head and chuckled dryly, slowly standing up. "No, that's not right."

She shook her head, walking out of the partially destroyed clearing she had found all those months ago, training on the Chidori and Raiton by herself. Letting her cloak swish behind her, she made for the outskirts of town, to take a walk around the lake. Wiping her eyes to rid them from tears, she inhaled, and put her expressionless mask back on her face.

''That's Naruto's dream.''

\----

Moving at a slow pace, the girl finally reached her destination, hands in her pockets. The lake was calm, her reflection visible when she bent slightly over the railing and stared at the water. Small ripples messed the image of her white hair and shiny protector up, and she rested her elbows on the railing.

_I cried, _she thought, inspecting her reflection in order to see if her eyes were red. _I cried for you, Lord Third. I let it all out, and it hurt. So I don't think I will ever do it again. I think... I think I'll just stick to our memories together, from now on._

She stayed like that for a few minutes, watching tiny little fish occasionally jump out of the water, and then fall back in again. She sighed.

_Naruto and Jiraiya will soon be leaving for their 'mission'. How will Tsunade be like? Like Jiraiya? She is a Sannin, so she must be powerful, smart, wise and collected. Though, I don't know how much of these qualities add to her white haired teammate. _

_Will she be anything like Lord Third, as the Hokage? And, Jiraiya said she'd want to meet me. Perhaps...perhaps she will make me a Chunin? True, the Exams were cut short. But every participant got to fight, at least one match... I want to... I want to make him proud... him, and mother... and father._

Suddenly, a crash from far away was heard, and the calm surface of the water was disturbed. Frowning, she turned her head towards the source of the noise, and squinted her eyes. Half way around the lake, she could make out six figures.

''Why have you shown up, too?" Asuma asked his fellow Jonin, chakra blades in hand. Kakashi sighed from in front of him, were he had just blocked the enemy's Jutsu with one of his own.

''Well, I know I asked you to take care of them.'' He said, while his Shadow Clone stood behind the second intruder. ''But I felt kind of uneasy.'' He finished, holding a kunai against the Rogue Ninja's back. 

''Sensei?" A new voice called, and the all of the Jonin leaders' eyes widened. Gurehai stood behind Asuma, hands itching to grab her weapons inside her pouches. ''What's goin-...'' She cut herself off, as the Sarutobi stepped aside and turned his body around, in order to see her, and giving her full view of his opponent in the process.Her blue eyes fell on the cloak first. It was long, and black...

...And decorated with bright red clouds.

Her breath hitched in her throat, as she took a step back. The Akatsuki member frowned upon her reaction, but recoiled soon after, when he took a closer look at her. Gurehai couldn't form proper words, and her mind was blank. _That cloak... he... he is..._

_'Hai! Get away from here, now!''_

_''But fath-...''_

_''No, I said leave! Run back to the Hidden Leaf!"_

''Akatsuki...'' She breathed out, her heart aching with the memory of her last seconds with her father. Turning her head slowly, she saw the remaining three figures, that turned out to be Kurenai-sensei, Kakashi... and a second Akatsuki member. It was just like that time. Two men, wearing black and red cloaks, one tall, the other shorter, and her... Although this time, the men were different.

''Gurehai...'' Kakashi sighed, not taking his eyes away from Kisame. ''This really isn't the best time for you to be here.'' Kisame's partner focused his eyes on the girl, his attention attracted by her name. He shared a look with the Hoshigaki, who slightly nodded. ''What is your goal here?"

''We... just came to find something we're looking for.'' The black haired Rogue replied, as Kisame's eyes momentarily flew to the Aoyo.

''Something you are looking for?" Kakashi questioned again, countless scenarios passing through his mind. ''The thing you are looking for... what is it?" Already fearing the worst, he raised his kunai.

''I am different from Kisame.'' The man replied instead. ''I won't take time.'' He completely ignored her sensei's last statement, taking out shuriken. As the Hatake jumped back to avoid his opponent's Jutsu, Gurehai gaped.

_His... his eyes... they are just like... just like..._

''Sasuke...'' She breathed out, gaining Asuma's attention. ''He has the same eyes as, Sasuke, the Sharingan. Is he... is he...''

''Uchiha Itachi.'' The Sarutobi nodded, standing protectively in front of her. ''Listen here, Gurehai.'' He added next, a little more quietly, so that Kisame couldn't hear. ''You have to get away from here. I know you probably think I'm treating you like a child, but you have to trust me on this one...'' He gave her a warning look. ''These guys are Rogues... murderers... they won't hesitate to kill you in order to achieve their goal... and we don't even know what that is.''

''But, Kakashi-sensei...''

''Kakashi can handle this, especially with our help. We outnumber them, so we have the upper hand. Now, first chance y-...''

''BEHIND YOU!" The Aoyo suddenly exclaimed, jumping back along with the older man. The Akatsuki's sword came crashing down, creating cracks on the ground where Asuma previously stood. At the same time, an explosion was heard from the spot Kurenai and Kakashi were, making the lake water rain down everywhere.

''KAKASHI! KURENAI!" The Jonin carelessly looked away. ''Gurehai, ran away, now! Bring back reinforcements!"

_''Hai! Get away from here, now!''_

_''But fath-...''_

_''No, I said leave! Run back to the Hidden Leaf!"_

The man then jumped away and into the waves the explosion had caused, to join his fellow Jonin leaders. The girl stayed down onto one knee with her eyes wide, terrified. _No... it's happening all over again... Kakashi-sensei? Damn it... How are they expecting me to run away, when he might die?_

''Damn you, Akatsuki!" She growled, her body spinning around in a flash, her wrist flicking as she threw a kunai at Kisame's head, who was about ten meters away from her. He simply craned his neck to the right, avoiding it. 

''Oh, you seem to know us.'' He commented, the fake undertone of surprise in his voice evident. ''You wouldn't happen to be the little brat that was with Soshimo Soraku that day six years ago, when my teammates attacked him, would you?" Gurehai seethed in response, giving him the answer he already knew. Drawing her hand back, a sharp sound of wire being pulled at was heard.

''_Little brat, come back here!''_

_''DIE!"_

The Rogue could only gasp as another cut appeared on his left cheek, where the kunai she had previously threw at him, and had wire tied to it, nicked him. The blade returned to her hand, and she twirled it around hr fingers before gripping it tight.

''That wasn't very wise, girl.'' Kisame smirked, showing off his sharp teeth. Before she could even blink, he disappeared completely, making her gasp. She barely had time to turn around and look at him, when he took hold of his sword once again. Samehada was swung, and the Aoyo's scream filled the air.

''GUREHAI!" Kurenai and Asuma cried, struggling to keep their eyes closed, as the Hatake had instructed. The silver haired man himself wasn't in the best condition. He had just spent three days inside Itachi's Tsukuyomi. Kneeling down on the water, trying not to sink, he growled. _What's happening to her? What did Hoshigaki do?_

''Whoa...'' The shark-man commented, appearing next to his partner in a flash. His sword was strapped against his back like before, and he had Gurehai in a headlock against his side. ''To take that Jutsu without causing his spirit to collapse... But, Itachi, it's also dangerous for you to overuse those eyes. We can leave now.''

''The thing you are looking for... is Gurehai?" Kakashi held back his tears, his body about to collapse from both exhaustion and pain. The white haired Genin was held against Kisame's body, her feet not touching the ground. With a second look, he saw they were covered in blood, oozing from a nasty wound on her right leg. She was grunting in pain, trying to get him to let go by pulling at his arm.

''Not only her... the legacy of the Fourth Hokage, as well.'' The Jonin all gasped, and could no longer keep their eyes closed. They opened them, and gasped at the sight of the girl.

''What are you planning?" Kurenai demanded, avoiding Itachi's eyes. 

''The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox inside Naruto is your target, isn't it?" Kakashi panted, recalling his conversation with Jiraiya. ''I know you aren't the only one's on the move... You are the Akatsuki, right?" The Konoha shinobi gasped at that, while Gurehai struggled to reach up to his shoulder.

''Kisame! We'll take Gurehai and Kakashi. Erase the other two.'' The Uchiha ordered, eager to wrap the situation up and leave.

''Bastards...'' The Genin winced, her left hand slowly creeping up at the Mist Rogue's neck. _I won't... I won't let them take me without a fight... and I won't let them hurt Kakashi and my senseis. _The shark-man grunted as her hand started pushing his head away, assuming she was trying to escape and make him let her go. When her palm finally faced the side of his temples, she outstretched. 

His eyes widened when her other hand, which she had managed to bring close to her face, formed a seal.

'_'Kiokugomon.''_


	23. Hospital And Confusion... Again

_''Kiokugomon.''_

Gurehai saw vague flashes of memories. She saw Kisame, looking younger, wearing something that resembled an Anbu uniform. He was surrounded by other individuals, also wearing the same attire. She then caught glimpse of a big shadow, carrying a large, wrapped item, that could only be the sword he now wielded. Everyone around him was wearing unscathed Mist protectors...

''_Kisame, drop her!'' _She heard a faraway voice shout, so distant, like someone was yelling at her through a brick wall. That was all the memories she managed to gather, before she felt herself falling towards the ground. Before she could open her eyes, someone took hold of her once again.

The person's fast movement made a wave of pain erupt from her right leg, where she could feel the air against her raw flesh. Samehada had come down with such speed, she had only managed to move her body to the left before it hit her. From what she had seen, there was a whole chunk of her thigh missing. And that wasn't good.

She heard voices again, becoming louder and louder. Her failed attempt to use her Genjutsu on the Hoshigaki had certainly taken its toll on her, especially since she was neither calm nor concentrated the moment she performed. She just had to get him to release her, and weaken him, so that the Jonin could have a chance of winning.

''_Kurenai...Shadow Clone... get them to the... team...'' _She could only make out, her mind hazy from the image of the pale green eyes that backfired to her. _The voice... I know that voice... I've heard it before... Open up... I have to open my eyes... _Putting an even bigger strain on her body by tensing her muscles, she finally succeeded, and her icy blue orbs were met by two pairs of ninja sandals.

''N-no...'' She coughed out, blinking rapidly. ''Let me down...'' She pleaded the person carrying her, squirming out of their grip. She saw green and orange, and then she forced her feet to balance on the water's surface. To her right, she saw a familiar bowl cut. ''I... h-have to fight them...''

''Gurehai, I admire your spirit and burning passion...'' Guy looked a her kindly. ''...But I can't let you fight like this. You are injured, you can barely stand!'' Slowly raising her head, she glanced to her left, and saw a sight that made her grit her teeth. Her sensei was obviously passed out, his face scrunched up in pain, much like her own. Kurenai had one of his arms draped around her shoulders, holding him up.

She turned the other way, and fought to keep her tired eyes open. The pain coming from her lower limbs made her wince once again. She met the gaze of the younger Akatsuki, and glared with all her might. The Uchiha didn't look more than three or four years older than her, which made her feel strange. How old had he been when he killed his family?

_How dare you? _She wanted to say, as she slowly reached for the weapons inside her pouch. _How dare you attack him, how dare you hurt him? Hasn't your organization of murderers done enough already? _The haunting image of the man with the pale green eyes flashed in her mind, as she held a kunai close to her face. _Haven't you already killed my father?_

Another wave of pain caused her to drop the kunai and grasp her head. She saw Kisame's memories, mixed with some nonsense of her own. Her father's dead eyes were looking back at her, his face unmoving, his body laying on soft grass. But that wasn't right. _It's messed with my brain. I never saw his face, not when he died. Not on that meadow. I ran. I ran away._

Then she felt a ghost of a dull ache in her left eye, the one she used to meet the Hoshigaki's gaze. He too, was softly touching his left temple. _How much has he seen? How much... how much have I showed him? _A final wave of pain made her double over, and close her eyes shut. She tried to open them again.

The last thing she saw before she passed out, was Guy bending down to pick her up again.

\----

_''Hai! Get away from here, now!''_

_''But fath-...''_

_''No, I said leave! Run back to the Hidden Leaf!"_

She took off with shaking legs, as fast as they could carry her. She lowered her head and let her arms fly behind her, heading for the woods on the far end of the meadow. Behind her, metal clashed against metal, and an overwhelming feeling made her lungs burn, and her head ache. She had just reached the tree-line, and almost tripped over her feet. 

_What is this? _Her blue eyes bulged out, her chest feeling like it was about to be ripped apart. _Is it a Jutsu? No... father has talked about it before... _inhaling with a cry escaping her lips, she forced her body to move forward, and jump from tree to tree. _It's a shinobi's bloodlust._

She hated it. She hated leaving him behind. She hated being weak, running away. But he had told her to leave. He had shouted. _And he never shouts. _She was steadily putting more and more distance between her and the assailants. Between her and her father.

_No, no. Everything is fine. He told me to run back. Yes, run back, and bring help. That way I can help him, and when everything is over, I will show him my Mud Wall, and he will smile, he will encourage me to make it taller, stronger, and he will tell me that he's proud of me, and he..._

_He will tell me he loves me._

_And I will say it back. I'll say that he's the best father in the world, taking on both of those bad guys on his own and coming back alive. I'll tell him I will one day become like him, a powerful ninja, that I will achieve all of the chakra Natures, just like he wants to, that I will do it..._

_That I will do it for him. No matter what it takes._

But her resolve completely shattered, when a scream echoed through the air, and made her halt. With wide eyes, she slowly, and fearfully, turned her head towards the direction she had come for. That voice... that voice belonged to her father.

Without a second thought, she turned around sharply and made her legs go even faster than before. He was in pain. He was loosing. He was dying. _Come on, come on, come on... Faster, go faster, I have to get to him, I have..._

She landed ungracefully on the ground, her open sandals letting the grass of the meadow tickle her toes. Somewhere in the middle of it, there were three figures. At least, two of the were standing. Quickly coming closer, she noticed that one of the strangers, the one with the blue hair, was lying on the ground, unmoving, with his eyes wide open. Close to him, her father was struggling to keep up with his opponents movements.

His grey and red clothing swished behind him as he jumped, parried and avoided the Akatsuki's attacks. His entire back was covered in blood, flowing from a large slash on his right shoulder blade.

''_Father!" S_he yelled, approaching them with quick movements. In an instant, the enemy locked eyes with her, and abandoned her father, appearing in front of her. His hand was drown back, ready to strike. She barely had time to widen her blue eyes, when he attacked. The sickening sound of flesh being ripped open was heard, and she felt blood splashing her face.

_''H-hai...'' _Soshimo coughed out blood, falling on his knees in front of her. Kakuzu drew his hand back from inside the Leaf Jonin's rib cage, with a furious expression on his face. Gurehai watched her father fall on his back, staining the short green grass with red. _N-no... _She gasped, as his dead, dark orbs blindly stared up at the sky. 

With a whimper, her hand flew up at her left eye, where an almost unbearable pain made her double over. It burned, it burned so much, just like someone was poking it with a lit match.

''_Little brat!" _The man about ten meters away from her exploded, his right hand detaching from his wrist, and falling on the ground, connected to wires. _''DIE!" _He thrusted it forward, making it fly towards her direction.

She felt an equally sharp pain very close to her right eye, and it started bleeding. The last thing she felt before passing out, was someone dragging her backwards, before the Akatsuki's hand could break her skull.

Her eyes opened once again, this time met by obnoxiously bright sunlight. She half-closed them, tying to adjust. Then she became aware of the unfamiliar white walls of the room she was in, and the slight smell of bleach and... hospital.

''Good morning.'' She heard a groggy, familiar voice coming from her right, and she craned her neck carefully. ''I was wondering when you were going to wake up. I haven't been conscious for long, myself.'' Kakashi rambled on from the bed next to hers, the covers drawn up to his neck. His face, as always, was covered by his black mask. Gurehai purposefully pressed the right side of her face against her pillow, so that her eye would be covered by her hair.

''How long has it been?"

''A week.'' He answered, and she tried not to gasp. ''And a couple of days.'' At that, she sighed in defeat. ''You were really careless back then.'' He immediately scolded her, narrowing his open eye at her. ''You tried to use Kiokugomon, while you were hurt and not focused. Do you know how bad it could have turned out?"

''I'm sorry, sensei.'' She apologized, blinking when her head suddenly filled with images of Mist shinobi. ''But I had to get away from his grip.I had to weaken him, in some way... they were about to hurt you and the Jonin.'' She remembered Itachi's Sharingan, and exhaled through greeted teeth.

_She was worried about us... _Kakashi thought, watching her with tired eyes. _And not herself, when a whole chunk of her flesh was missing. _He sighed when he noticed how she was hiding her eye from him.

''How much do you know about them?" She then asked. ''The Akatsuki?"

''Probably as much as you do.'' He tried to keep talking despite is aching body and the strain in his voice. ''They are an organization, whose goal is, for now, unknown. They are after you... and Naruto.'' He added, confirming her suspicions. Before passing out that day, she had heard them talk about things. Something called the Nine-Tailed Fox included.

''The Nine-Tailed Fox...'' She started, struggling to remember. ''...Inside Naruto? Correct?" She corrected the Hatake, who stared at her hesitantly. He nodded. ''What is that?"

''One of the nine Tailed Beasts. Beings, made purely out of chakra.'' That got her thinking. _So, back then, in the Forest of Death... it had something to do with the Nine-Tailed Fox. That's what I felt... that's what I saw. The immense amount of chakra, that was it._

''Interesting.'' She murmured, thinking about her friends. Where was he now? Probably with Jiraiya. But how was he? She had that feeling... the feeling that something was off. ''So, what are they planning to do with us?" She asked, looking at her right leg. It was her only limb that wasn't covered by the blanket, but was wrapped in bandages, all the way down to her ankle, and on a sling hanging from the ceiling. 

''We are waiting for Lady Tsunade to come back, hopefully.'' Kakashi replied, feeling his consciousness drift away by the second. ''She is the only one able to heal us properly.'' With one last attempt to stay awake, he turned his sore neck towards the left more, and stared into her eyes. ''You know...'' He began. ''You don't have to hide your eye around me. I have already seen it before, remember?" He asked gently.

''Says the man wearing a mask.'' Gurehai chuckled, touching her bandaged leg softly. Turning her head away, she let her white locks fall back on her pillow, and uncover the right side of her face completely. With a sigh, both of them closed their eyes, falling back to sleep.

\----

''Itachi.'' Kisame called, miles upon miles away from Konoha. ''You knew what our mission was.'' He started, seated on a rock by the side of the road, Samehada strapped on his back. ''Why would you tell me to drop her?" He questioned, genuinely curious about his partner's decision.

The Uchiha didn't reply for a while. Instead, he stared off in the distance, letting the wind mess with the few strands of hair he had around his eyes. ''When she pointed her palm at your head, what happened?" He simply asked, with his arm resting on his knee.

''My body froze for a second.'' He cautiously said. ''Then flashes of memories started to swarm in my brain. They weren't mine.'' He took a moment, closing his eyes, as if trying to remember. And there they were. ''It was her. But only, younger. On the day she and her father were attacked. I saw Kakuzu and Shinhan through her eyes. Then she started running away.''

''She tried to put you under a Genjutsu.'' Itachi nodded his head, closing his eyes. ''She was planning on using your memories to put you in your worst nightmare, and then slowly destroy your mind by making you go mad. If I hadn't shouted, and woke you up from the temporary trance you were in, you'd be at her mercy, and your brain cells would have been fried one by one.'' With a deep breath, he raised his head, and looked at his partner.

''She'd have to dig pretty deep in order to do that.'' The Hoshigaki joked. Touching his temple. Despite his calm demeanor, he was starting to grow worried about the scene, that wouldn't stop replaying in his head.

''A few more seconds, and you'd be trapped. I would probably have no choice than to leave you behind.'' Sighing, he looked away again. ''The wound you inflicted her earlier, made everything harder for her. She couldn't concentrate properly, so she messed up, and memories leaked inside your mind, like your memories leaked inside hers.''

Weirded out, the shark-man narrowed his eyes at the brunette. ''How do you know so much about it?" He asked, staring at him. ''I know your intellectual skills more than anyone, but surely, even you couldn't have gathered so many details from only observing.''

''The reason I know so much about it...'' He trailed off. ''This... Kiokugomon... is because it was the base of my Tsukuyomi...'' Kisame raised a thin eyebrow, waiting for the Uchiha to finish his sentence. 

''...Taught to me by Soshimo Soraku.''


	24. Lady Fifth

_''Hai! Get away from here, now!''_

_''But fath-...''_

_''No, I said leave! Run back to the Hidden Leaf!"_

She was in a meadow.

A green, sunlit meadow. In front of her, the battle went on, and, just like the dozens of times before, she heard herself exclaim.

_''Father!" _Then he died. As always, he fell dead on her feet, his body adorned by bleeding wounds. Then the Akatsuki attacked her, injuring her right eye. She was yanked back, and the dream-no, the memory was over, letting her mind wander in its dark depths.

_I saw him die. I saw him die, but I wasn't there. That man attacked me, but I never ran back to him. I have the reminder of his detached hand on my face, but what caused it was a branch. Only a branch, a branch split in half I ran into while I was running away. Away._

_Lord Third said they found him dead, that he had been dead for hours when the Anbu found him. And I was miles, miles away. I didn't see the fight. I didn't see him die. I didn't ran back to him. I didn't feel the pain._

_But if I didn't..._

_What are these memories?_

She opened her eyes slowly, adjusting to the bright light of the sun. She was facing her sensei, who was currently sitting up on his hospital bed, rubbing his eyes. _If he's healed, and able to stand up, that means... _She let her hand wander on her right side, where she finally found her leg. It was no longer wrapped in bandages, and, more importantly, she could move it.

''Gure-chan!" She heard a happy voice chirp, and she was suddenly hugged from her left side, arms wrapped around her neck. Sitting up slowly, she turned to see Naruto with a wide grin on his face. Blinking tiredly, she saw three more people in the room. Two young women, and Guy. The women stood there with smiles on their faces.

The first one, whit dark hair and dark eyes, was holding a small pig in her arms, and looked a little shy. But the other... The other made her blue orbs widen slightly.

''Look who I brought, Gure-chan, look who I brought!" The Uzumaki laughed, allowing her to take a good look around her. There was no mistake. The honey-blond hair, the whiskey-colored eyes, the large chest... Yes. That was definitely Tsunade, the third Sannin.

''Lady Tsunade.'' She breathed out, not feeling tired at all anymore. _She healed me. My leg is fine. My head doesn't hurt. _''Or, perhaps, should I say 'Lady Fifth'?" The woman only nodded. ''Thank you for healing me.'' The Sannin stared at her with a soft expression, at loss of words for a few seconds.

''Gurehai, huh. It's nice to finally meet you.'' She commented. ''Though, I would rather it happened while you weren't unconscious.'' Behind her, Guy looked ready to piss himself with anticipation. ''I would like to talk alone with you some time. When you have fully recovered, I'll be expecting you in my office.''

''COME ON, LADY TSUNADE! NEXT UP IS MY STUDENT, LEE!" Guy exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air. The healer chuckled and turned around along with her assistant, walking towards the door.

''Oh, and, Gurehai.'' She said softly, her eyes sad. ''You should know.'' The girl frowned, curious about what got the woman to act like that. ''I also treated your mother, Gureki. She had an accident in your house a few days ago, from what I was told, and she is now hospitalized.'' At the sound of that, the Aoyo's jaw slacked and she shot up from her bed, sprinting outside the door.

''Gurehai-san!" Shizune gasped, attempting to stop her. The new Hokage raised her hand in a warning manner and made her halt. With a shake of her head, the blond followed the Jonin and Genin on an entirely different hospital wing, where they reached Lee's room.

Meanwhile, Gure's bare feed padded on the floor as fast as lightning. She ignored the soreness of her legs, that she hadn't used for at least a week, and kept running, taking sharp turns, and avoiding nurses and patients. When she reached the front desk, she slammed her hands on it, shocking the secretary.

''Gureki Soraku, the medical nin!" She stared at her straight in the eyes, making the other woman cower back. ''Which room is she in?"

''I'm sorry, young lady, bu-...''

''I am her daughter, Gurehai!'' She snapped again, agitated. _She is obviously new here. Everyone else knows me, since I've been visiting mother during her shifts for years. _''Please, tell me!"

''Oh, um... Room B-19-...'' The white haired girl had took off again before the secretary could finish her sentence, maneuvering around a pair of kids. _All rooms in the east wing are B- ones. She's there. Oh, mother, what have you done this time?_

Throwing the door open, her eyes fell on the older woman, lying on her bed with her eyes closed. Her face looked to be in pain, her breathing pattern unstable. The covers didn't hide her left leg, which didn't have its prosthetic on.

''Mother...'' Gurehai mumbled, approaching her slowly, kneeling down next to her bed. Her mother looked up at her with half-closed eyelids, trying to smile.

''Honey...'' She whispered hoarsely, attempting to raise her hand to cup her daughter's face. The girl touched it and placed it back down on the bed, cupping it with both her cold palms. ''You are awake...'' 

''You are such a klutz for a ninja, you know that?" The young Aoyo fought back the tears, breathing in sight of relief instead. ''I'm not around for just one week, and you get injured? I don't want to know what will happen when I leave for missions in the future.'' She took deep breaths in order to calm down her heart hammering against her chest, and bowed her head, bringing Gureki's hand on her forehead.

''Where did you think you'd go without your walking stick?''

\----

The first thing Gurehai did when she got home, was to get in the shower and stay in it beneath the steaming hot water for about half an hour. She then got out and combed her white hair, letting it fall down to her shoulders as always. The second, was to put on a fresh change of her usual attire, put on her cloak, and ran back outside, heading for the Hokage building.

''Enter.'' Gurehai was given permission to come in the Hokage's office, and she turned the doorknob, opening the wooden door. Inside, behind her new office, stood Tsunade, the red and white hat with the symbol of 'fire' still on her head after her introduction to the Village.

''Lady Fifth.'' She bowed her head, at which the Sannin chuckled. ''You requested my presence.''

''Damn it, why is everyone acting so formal? I am not an old woman, like that geezer, counselor Koharu.'' The blonde sighed, her shoulders slumping. 

''Well, you are the Hokage.'' The girl retorted, pointing to the large hat she was wearing. Glancing up at it, Tsunade immediately took it off and placed it on her desk.

''Tell me, Gurehai, how is Gureki?" She asked, changing the subject completely.

''Still in the hospital. The medics say she needs to rest, and I couldn't agree more with them.'' Gurehai replied, holding her hands behind her back in military-fashion. ''She only works shifts, while I'm not home most of the time, and that means she has to take care of the chores as well. Her leg only makes matters worst.''

''I see.'' Tsunade hummed. ''How is _your _leg?"

''Perfect.'' They both nodded. ''I am glad I can walk properly again, and the fact that it doesn't look like a part of it was missing is also very convenient. Thank you for healing me, once more.'' The healer ran her eyes over her, analyzing, before stopping at her covered eye.

''I also took a look at your eye.'' She stated. ''Unfortunately, the scar is too old and too deep for me to heal.'' Gurehai shook her head lightly. She new it couldn't be healed. It would never be like it was before, and, perhaps, she didn't want it to be. ''You still can see clearly through that eye, right?"

''Of course.'' She said, brushing away the hair that fell over it, in order for the older Kunoichi to take a look. ''Only the area around the corner of my eyebrow was wounded.''

''You should know...'' The Hokage started, as she let her hair cover it again. ''...Whatever happened to earn you that scar, is a reminder that you lived through it. You shouldn't hide it. Every scar is beautiful.'' Gurehai chuckled.

''With all due respect, Lady Fifth... I thinks it's as beautiful as your chest is small.'' She hesitated for a second, but then met her superior's eyes. ''Also, Lady Fifth... I need your help.'' Tsunade nodded, and she took a deep breath.

''In the days that I was unconscious, I kept reliving a certain memory. That is not what concerns me, though. This memory... I don't remember ever living it.''

The Hokage perked up. ''Oh?" She frowned. ''What kind of memory?"

''On the day my father died... I was with him. When the Akatsuki attacked, he told me to run away, and head back to Konoha, seeing as we were miles from the Village. I did as told, and, on my way back, I got injured...'' She trailed off, touching her covered eye. ''I was told that it was a splinter of wood. It buried itself deep in the corner of my eye, and needed many stitches. At some point, I passed out from the pain. When I woke up, hours had passed, and I was back in Konoha. Lord Third visited me and my mother, and informed us of father's passing.''

''And...'' The Sannin urged her, curious about where the conversation was heading.

''That's what happened. Or that's what I think happened. In the memory that keeps resurfacing in my mind, I never reached Konoha. I ran back to father instead, after hearing him scream. There, I found one of the two Akatsuki dead, and father severely injured, about to die from the remaining attacker's hand. I called out to him. The Akatsuki turned his attention to me. Father had to jump in front of me and him, stopping him from killing me.''

''He fell dead on my feet. I remember my left eye stinging. Then, the Akatsuki attacked again. His fist detached from his arm, and came at me, connected to black wires. In the memory, the wires were what caused this...'' She once again caressed her eye. ''...The last thing I remember in it is someone yanking me backwards, before more damage could be done, but... that's it. After that, I wake up at my house, and I head downstairs, where Lord Third is talking with mother.''

''What is troubling you, then?"

''I don't know which memory is real.'' She gulped, waiting for Tsunade's reaction. ''I don't know... I don't know if he died because of me. And... if he did, then the pain I felt was coming one step closer to the Taorigan. Something I am not looking forward to happen.''

''The Taorigan, huh. Can't say I haven't heard about it before.''

''Then you know what must happen in order for an Aoyo to attain it. I have killed. If the second memory is real, someone has died for me. That means, the only thing standing between me and my clan's Dojutsu, is the death of someone I love... by my hand.'' 

''I can contact the Intelligence Division.'' The Sannin told the Genin, after a minute of thought. _You would have helped her, wouldn't you, sensei? _''Inoichi Yamanaka, head of the Analysis Team, can take a look at your memories, and sort things out. Just like our interrogations work. I will be there to supervise the procedure, if you'd like.''

''Thank, you Lady Fifth.'' Gurehai bowed her head, not knowing what to say to express her gratitude. _I will find out the truth, father. Once again, I ask for your forgiveness._

Silence fell over them for a while, and when the Sannin looked at her guest, she saw her glancing around, and averting her gaze when it fell on the Third's picture. ''He was an amazing sensei, don't you think?" She then asked, making the girl snap her head towards her in surprise. Then, she smiled.

''Yes.'' She exhaled, letting her arms fall at her sides. ''Kakashi-sensei will have a hard time trying to surpass him, that's for sure. On a second thought... Don't tell him that. I am still waiting for him to teach me Suiton techniques, and that won't happen if he's sulking.''

''Suiton? That's your chakra Nature?" Tsunade inquired, at which Gure smiled and shook her head. 

''One of them, yes.'' She corrected, and the Hokage gave her an impressed look. ''First it was Doton, then Raiton. I am proud to tell you that I have mastered the first, and close to mastering the latter, as well.''

''Just like Soshimo.'' She praised, causing the white haired Kunoichi's eyes to widen. 

''His dream is mine, after all. I am afraid I am nowhere near his level, though. At least not yet. Jiraiya told me a few things about the fighter he used to be, and I promised I would surpass him.''

''So you have met Jiraiya? I hope that perverted idiot didn't do anything disturbing.'' With an amused smile, Gurehai shook her head, deciding not to mention what Naruto had told her about him. _Also, I still haven't found out about the book he almost gave me. I have to ask Kakashi-sensei about it, next time I see him._

''He was the second Sannin I had the... honor to meet. I am afraid you are in third place, Lady Fifth.'' Tsunade's muscles tensed, even though she knew of the girl's encounter with Orochimaru beforehand. ''He said that you knew father as well, and were pretty close.''

''Yes, me and Soshimo were friends. I take it that Jiraiya told you about how he is your godfather.'' The girl nodded. ''But did he tell you that it was me that helped your mother deliver you?"

Gurehai was taken aback by the statement. _So one Sannin named me, and the other helped mother give birth. What should I expect the snake did? Babysit while mother and father went out for drinks?_

''No, but he did say the baby would be a girl before everyone else.'' The older woman ruined her train of thought, and made an inconceivable hue of pink appear on her cheeks. _I seriously need to stop thinking out loud. _''Even though you probably aren't happy to hear this, Konoha's Sannin were all close to Soshimo Soraku. At least, before we took seperate ways.''

Gurehai was about to say something, when a sharp knock on the door made both their heads snap towards it. 

''Lady Hokage?" A hesitant voice called, reminding the Aoyo of someone.

''Come in.'' The Sannin said loudly enough to be heard from the other side of the door, sitting down on the wooden desk in front of her. The wooden door opened to reveal Shizune, the girl that had accompanied the healer to the hospital the day of her recovery, and that held a pig in her arms. Behind her, came six more people.

First was Ibiki Morino, the scarred Jonin that had been in charge of the first round during the Chunin Exams. After him was Anko Mitarashi, the woman from the second round, in the Forest of Death. Behind her came Genma, the man who supervised the matches in the final round of the Exams. He still had a long tooth pick in his mouth. _The proctors from all three of the Exams? Don't tell me..._

The three of them walked to Tsunade's left, standing there with small smirks in their lips. Shizune stood behind the Hokage, and then the three last ninja came in.

Dressed in gray outfits, like the ones they wore as proctors in the written exam, the man with spiky black and the man with straight brown hair walked in and stood in Tsunade's right, looking at her with similar, smug expressions. When she turned back around to see who the sixth person was, her visible eye widened.

''Shikamaru?" She furrowed her eyebrows, as the Nara also looked surprised to see her.

''Oi, Gurehai.'' He greeted, walking next to her with his hands in his pockets, as always. ''What did they bring as here for? Man, this is such a drag.''

''Silence!" The Hokage raised her voice, and the two kids turned their attention to her. She rolled open an empty scroll, and placed it next to a small ink container on her desk. ''There were opinions that, with the final exam being suspended, no one should pass in the Exams this time around.'' Her voice was a bit more strict than a few moments earlier, when they were alone.

''But, I hear that the late Third Hokage, as well as the other lands' Feudal Lords, highly praised your matches. It seems that he planned on recommending you for Chunin.'' _It's happening... ''_All the proctors are of the same opinion as well, so...'' 

Izumo and Kotetsu left from their spot next to Shizune and walked behind her and Shikamaru, but she didn't pay them any attention. It was all focused on Tsunade, who started writing on the scroll in front of her. ''From now on, strive to perform in a manner that is worthy of that headband and jacket!" Two hands appeared in her line of view from her right, holding out something for her. She turned her head to see the spiky haired man, smirking down at her.

''Congratulations!'' She took the green vest in her own hands and stared at it proudly, while the Nara did the same to the one Izumo had handed him. 

''Shikamaru Nara, Aoyo Gurehai...'' The girl was so happy, despite of the lack of a smile in her lips, that she didn't mind the Sannin altering her last name. ''As of today, the two of you are Chunin!"


	25. Team Captain

''Lady Fifth.'' Gurehai bowed her head upon entering her office, and walked to stand in front of her desk. ''You called for me.'' Indeed, around five minutes earlier, while she was sitting by her sleeping mother at the hospital, a masked Anbu had appeared outside the window, told her that the Hokage wanted to see her, and disappeared again.

_At least the Anbu don't disappear and appear out of thin air in a puff of smoke, like the Jonin, _she had thought, before kissing Gureki's temple and heading out, jumping from rooftop to rooftop towards the Hokage building.

''Gurehai.'' The Sannin gave her a slight smile. ''I'm glad you could come here so fast. And I'm also glad to see you wearing your vest.'' She added, nodding at her direction. The girl chuckled in return, looking down at herself. 

''The only time I've taken it off since yesterday evening was when I went to sleep.'' She commented, patting her Chunin identification mark. ''What did you call me here for, Lady Fifth?"

''I'll get straight to the point, then.'' She smirked, resting her chin on top of her intertwined fingers. ''You are a Chunin, and from what I know, a very skilled one, and Chunin lead basic platoons. You are here for your first mission as a captain.''

The Aoyo's eyes widened. Sure, she knew that, sooner or later, the time would come for her to lead a team on missions. But, she never thought that time would come on her first one.

''The mission is an C-Rank.'' She started again, handing out a paper for her to take. She took it in her hands, and started reading. ''Requested by a small village in the outskirts of the Land of Fire, you will have to travel south. The village is a regular target for a group of bandits, and has, until now, been protected by its men. But now, for them is hunting season, and they will all have to travel to bring months' worth of food back to the village. Its population reaches only the a hundred and fifty mark, and that now the males are gone, about a third of that remains. That mean the women and young children are defenseless.''

''In other words...'' Gure looked up, meeting Tsunade's light brown orbs. ''... me and my team are to protect the village from the bandits until the men return?"

''Not just that. Upon a recent attack, which happened during late at night, half of it was destroyed. You will help the remaining villagers reconstruct it. The mission is expected to last a week and a half. Pack your things accordingly.''

''Any details I should know about?"

''There aren't any. A blind old man came and requested them mission yesterday morning, accompanied by a younger man wearing an eye patch. They said he was the village's elder.''

''I see. What about my subordinates? Who will they be?"

''That's up for you to decide. They have to be Genin, of course. Three of them.'' The Hokage said, taking back the paper from the Chunin. ''Remember, Gurehai.'' She told the girl. ''This mission will test your leadership skills and tactical powers. I want you to do your best.'' The white haired Kunoichi nodded, now deep in thought. ''I will give you a few hours to decide which Genin you want, and then I will call for them. You will depart as soon as possible.''

''That won't be necessary, Lady Fifth.'' She breathed in, faces of all the Genin she knew flashing through her mind. ''I already know who I need.''

\----

''Man, what did they drag us here for, so suddenly?" Naruto whined, an hour later, hands behind his head. ''I was enjoying my ramen at Ichiraku, and then that bird came in and I had to go home as quickly as I could to pack.''

''Don't complain, you loser.'' Sasuke put his hands on the pockets of his shorts, after securing the backpack on his back. ''They send a bird for me to get ready too. It's obviously a mission.''

''A mission it is.'' Neji agreed, crossing his arms over his chest. ''But who is leading it? And what is the scope of it? The message the bird delivered said to pack clothes and weapons for a week, gather at the Village Gates in an hour and wait for the last member of the cell there. Nothing more.''

''Oh, wait!'' The Uzumaki suddenly exclaimed, peeking over Neji's shoulder with a grin. ''There he is! Kakashi-sensei is coming! OI, KAKASHI-SENSEI!" He yelled, waving his hand frantically in the air. ''Wait a minute... why is he here so early? He's Kakashi-sensei! Shouldn't he be an hour late or something?" He mumbled to himself.

The Jonin sighed and approached them, hands in his pockets. Standing tall in front of the three Genin, who formed a small triangle, he pulled out one of his hands, and gave them a bored wave. ''Hi, everyone.'' He greeted, inspecting their luggage. ''Are you ready for the mission?"

''Damn right, we are!" The blonde of the group pumped his fist in the air. ''Now, what's the mission? A B-Rank? Are we going to guard someone special? With the three of us exceptional shinobi here, that must be it, right? Right?" He pointed between himself, Neji and Kakashi, making Sasuke, who was purposefully left out, huff.

''Oh, but how should I know?" He asked in a fake surprised voice, and the boys frowned. ''I am not taking part in this mission, at all. I just came here to see my students and Neji, off.'' 

''Eh?" Naruto scrunched his face up, squinting at the man in front of him. ''What do you mean by that, ttebayo? Also, where's Gure-chan? I know where Sakura-chan is, but I haven't seen her at all since the time she woke up at the hospital, two days ago.''

''I'm here.'' A new voice came from behind Kakashi, who moved to the side, allowing the boys to see their teammate. ''Sorry I'm late. I had to stop by the hospital before I left.''

''Gu-Gure-chan?" The Genin gasped, as the white haired girl came into view. ''You are the last member of our team? And... what are you wearing?" Sasuke and Neji gaped at her appearance, while Kakashi smile behind his mask at her attire. She wore her black shorts and new cloak, as always, but over that, was a zipped-up green flak jacket.

''Oh, that's right.'' The Hatake said, resting his hand on the shoulder of his female student. ''I didn't get to congratulate you for your promotion.''

''Thank you, sensei.'' Gurehai nodded at him, before narrowing her eyes at him slightly. ''I am still waiting for those Suiton Jutsus, when I get back.'' She reminded him, and he scratched the back of his head with an awkward laugh. 

''Yeah, yeah, I'll remember that.'' He then gave them a salute. ''Good luck, you guys!" He smiled, and disappeared in a puff of smoke. _As always._

''Chunin?" The Uchiha and the Hyuga mumbled at the same time, and Gurehai turned to them.

''I guess the feudal lords and proctors found my match very impressive.'' She shrugged. ''Oh, that's right. The two of you didn't get to watch it. Never mind that. You'll probably have your fair share of demonstrations during our mission. Which reminds me... is an C-Rank. We will travel south, to a small village. We have to protect and help the villagers rebuild it, while looking out for the group of bandits that destroyed it. They are expecting us to arrive in three days, so we will make it even if make many stops along the way.''

''We get to fight bandits? ALRIGHT!" Naruto grinned, but the girl shook her head. 

''There is a chance we will, yes. But please, don't seek it out, Naruto. Our mission is not to take them down, but protect people from them. Also, I want to say something.'' She paused, looking each one of them in the eyes. ''This is my first time as a team Captain. I imagine that if you were me, you wouldn't want to screw up either. So, please try to cooperate.'' Her gaze fell on her fellow team 7 members. ''Especially you two.''

''We have to help build the village, huh?" Neji thought about it, looking at Gurehai. ''I see. That's why you chose the three of us for the mission.''

''Exactly.'' The Aoyo nodded. ''Naruto can create a large number of Shadow Clones, that can either surround the village as we work, or help out with their large number of working hands. You are a sensor, user of the Byakugan. There isn't a better scout. As for me and Sasuke, we are respectively a Doton and Suiton user, and...''

''A Katon user.'' The Uchiha finished, secretly admiring her thinking. 

''Perfect for building houses and other facilities from natural resources.'' As if she had suddenly remembered something very important, she turned completely to her dark-haired teammate. ''Oh, and, Sasuke.'' She called, and he stared at her expectantly. ''I'm glad to see you're okay. I heard you were admitted to the hospital as well.''

''Yes.'' He simply replied, tightening his grip around the straps of his backpack.

''At least you are alright now.'' She absentmindedly repeated once more, trying to assure herself more than the others. ''He and his partner did a number on us, didn't they?" She didn't say his name but he obviously understood, his eyes widening. He didn't know what had happened to Gurehai. Just that she was also healed by Tsunade.

Not waiting to see his reaction or hear his response, she walked to the front of the group, stepping outside the Village Gates. 

''Now, team Hai, heading out.'' And they all took off running.

\----

As expected, only two days later, they reached the wrecked village, not even panting. Neji deactivated his Byakugan, and walked alongside his Captain. ''It looks deserted.'' He commented, looking around the small plain grassland on which a poorly-made fence was rising up from the ground, barely a head taller than them. 

''The remaining villagers are probably all behind this fence.'' Gurehai guessed, approaching what looked like a door. It had a thin opening running horizontally to it, serving as a peephole. A single tree grew next to it, providing some shade. ''I am going to knock.'' The four stopped and she stepped forward, knocking loudly on the wooden planks, that almost split apart. Naruto, curious, stood next to her.

''Who's there?" A voice came from the other side of the door a few moments later, and the girl saw a pair of hazel eyes through the slit in the wood. Judging by the voice, it was probably a boy, around her and Neji's age. _Didn't all the men leave to hunt?_

''We are ninja from Konohagakure.'' She answered, not looking away from the pair of eyes. ''The elder of your village came and asked for protection, a few days ago.'' The boy didn't answer. Instead, a few whispers were heard, and he looked away. He disappeared from the peephole a second later.

''What's going on?" Sasuke inquired from behind her, a frown still on his face. ''Why are they not letting us in?''

''I say we break down these toothpicks.'' The Uzumaki pouted, flicking the fence with his fingers. ''They seem so weak, a simple poke would suffice.'' Before the Aoyo could order him to back away, the hazel pair of eyes reappeared.

''How many eyes does the bird have?" The voice asked, eyes narrowing suspiciously. Team Hai was taken aback. _How many eyes... does the bird have?_

''Oh, oh, is that a riddle? I like riddles!" Naruto chirped, pushing Sasuke and Neji aside and staring into the slit. ''Lets see... the bird as in the bird, right? Birds have two eyes, so, the number is two, right?" He asked excitedly, before frowning. ''No, no, no, it can't be that easy... Perhaps-...''

''Shut up, loser!" The Uchiha snapped. ''You are going to lock us outside!"

''Both of you, silence!" Gurehai snapped, making the two boys stop bickering immediately. Then, she glared at the ground, thinking hard. _The eyes of the bird... the eyes of the bird... what could it be? _Suddenly, her ears focused on a sound she had, until now, been ignoring. She turned her head towards the source, and gasped silently. 

On the tree, a flock of thrushes sat all over its branches, jumping around and chirping in sync. Waiting a few more seconds, she noticed more birds coming from inside the 'gates', joining their friends. _Thrush... thrush... the village is named Tori..._

_'_'How many eyes does the bird have?" The boy repeated again, a bit more agitated. Gurehai inhaled shakily. 

_Bird... Tori... eyes... how many eyes... does Tori have? _Thinking back to her meeting with Tsunade, she remembered her words. _Blind village elder, accompanied by a man in an eye patch... a hundred and fifty residents... that makes..._

''Two hundred and ninety seven.'' She finally stated, causing her subordinates to look at her in confusion. 

''W-what?" The boy behind the door stuttered, obviously surprised. Sasuke, Naruto and Neji gazed expectantly at her, while she just put her fingers on the small slits on her vest, resting her hands there. 

''You heard me. The bird has two hundred and ninety seven eyes. Aren't you supposed to let us inside now? Your riddle is solved, and we have to take a look around the damage that has been done in order to repair it.'' The boy gritted his teeth and a few seconds later, the door was thrown open.

Inside the fence, they were met with the curious eyes of the boy... and many, many women. Small girls, mothers, grannies and infants. With a second glance, the Leaf ninja noticed a few boys as well, though not older than five years old.

All around, the huts were the villagers obviously slept were disheveled. Some seemed burnt down, others had broken roofs and windows, but they all had people in them, trying to repair small things in them.

''What is this?" The same voice from before called from next to Neji, and she turn to the boy with a frown. ''We asked for ninja to protect us. These four are kids!" The hazel eyed boy turned out to be a teenager as tall as Neji, with shaggy light brown hair and a slender frame. Both his hands were wrapped with bandages, up to the end of the short sleeves of his kimono shirt.

''Kenki!" A woman gasped from behind him, and Gurehai looked at her to see she was probably in her late twenties, and several months pregnant. ''Don't talk like that! They are our guests!" 

''But aunt Haana, I'm stating the truth! What good are they supposed to be against Kuro and his gang? The walls I built will do a better job protecting us than them!" Kenki complained, pointing at the wooden fence in frustration. _That tiny layer of branches? _The Chunin thought bitterly. Naruto _could have knocked it down with a flick of his wrist, if it weren't for me._

_''_Naruto.'' She raised her voice, attracting everyone's attention. The blonde looked at her curiously. ''I want ten of your Shadow Clones around the village, guarding the wooden fence. Tell me immediately if something suspicious moves along the treeline. Neji, please keep an eye out for strange chakra signatures. We don't know if the bandits are ninja.'' 

''Yes, Captain!" Naruto grinned, forming a hand sign. ''Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Ten identical pops echoed around them, and the Shadow Clones appeared, making the villagers and the brunette boy gasp. ''Heading out!'' And they all jumped away, to their posts.

''I am sure our Hokage will accept your complaints, whatever they are.'' She told Kenki, staring at him with an indifferent expression. ''Now if you'll excuse me and my teammates, we'd like to speak to the village elder about the mission. Ma'am, could you show us the way?" She asked the pregnant woman, Haana.

''Oh, yes, of course!" She smiled, resting a hand on her belly. ''Follow me.'' She turned around and walked towards the center of the village, the ninja and many curious children following suit. In the middle of Tori, buildings seemed to be in better condition. _The bandits probably didn't come so far inside._

Reaching a large house exactly in front of a small well, they found an old, close-eyed man sitting on its porch.

''Is this Gurehai and her team?" He asked in a tired voice, and when his eyes opened, she could see they were pale and clouded, as if a veil was draped in front of his irises. ''Lady Hokage told me about you. Thank you for coming, dear.''

''Village elder.'' The girl bowed her head in respect slightly, even if he couldn't see her. ''Me and my teammates will do anything in our power to protect you and your villagers. We can begin repairing the houses as soon as we settle down and unpack our things.''

''Oh, no, no, don't worry. You can start tomorrow, it's already evening.'' He insisted, dismissing them with his bony hand. ''Tsubaki, Rozuu.'' He called, and two kids came running from inside the house, a boy and a girl, with dark brown hair and identical green eyes. _Twins? _''Show them to their rooms, please.''

''Yes grandpa!" They mused, and walked to the four teens. ''Come this way, ninja! We helped aunt Haana prepare your rooms!" 

They followed the twins a little further into the village, near the fence. There, two terraced huts stood, their doors decorated with yellow flowers. The girl, Tsubaki, grabbed Gurehai's hand without warning, and dragged her towards the second door. When she reached the door she opened it quickly, motioning for the Aoyo to enter. When Sasuke and Naruto attempted to enter too, Rozuu jumped in front of them, a furious expression on his small face.

''Where are you going, you perverts? That's Gurehai-neesan's room!" He screeched, pushing them towards the other door. ''This one is yours!" The Chunin chuckled at the scene, and thanked the little girl, who then skipped away to the direction of her grandpa's house with a small grin. When Rozuu left as well, she looked at her subordinates.

''Good night, boys. See you tomorrow.''

''Night.''

''Hn.''

''Sleep well, Gure-chan!"

She closed the door behind her and sighed, zipping down her vest and placing it on a chair next to the door. Looking around, she saw a futon mattress on the floor, and a small desk on the corner of the room. She took off her sandals and tossed them next to the chair. Taking off her cloak, she dug her hand in her pocket and took out a black hair tie. When all her clothes were off, she tied her white locks back, and fell face-first on her pillow.

_Goodnight, mother._


	26. Protectors Of Tori

Team Hai started reconstruction early the very next morning. Or rather, more specifically, Naruto's Shadow Clones and Gurehai's Earth Clones did. The Uzumaki's creations were still patrolling around the village, while another dozen of them helped five of the Aoyo's clones rebuild the destroyed huts. The village's women had offered to lend a helping hand as well.

The real members of the team were gathered in a circle close to the well in the center of Tori, discussing their future plans. Many children and women stood and sat around them, listening in to their conversation with awe. Among them were the green eyed twins from yesterday, not taking their eyes off the four ninja.

''Last time, they hit when everyone was asleep.'' The Captain explained. ''Even if the men were still around, the bandits didn't seem to have trouble attacking. Judging from the damage that has been done...'' She trailed off, inspecting the buildings. ''I'd say there were at least forty of them. That, or they were fewer in numbers, but users of Ninjutsu. That way, the men of the village couldn't stop them.''

''Their goal must have been to only steal goods.'' Neji pointed out, and she nodded. ''Although many huts were burned down, I heard no one got fatally injured. They want the villagers alive, in order to terrorize them and force them to provide the bandits with food-...''

''That's not true.'' An irritated voice cut in, and everyone turned to see Kenki clenching his fists. ''What you said, about no one getting fatally injured, isn't true!" He yelled, eyes glaring at them with all his might. ''People died! Stop assuming things!"

_People died? _Gurehai frowned, looking at him curiously. _That wasn't in the report. What is he talking about?_

''Kenki!" Haana's voice cut in, the woman standing up from her seat and resting her hand on her stomach. ''Stop it! I know it hurts, but, please, stop it!"

''What are you talking about?" The Chunin cut in, before the fuming boy could reply. ''The report we received didn't say anything about someone dying. Explain yourselves.''

''We don't need to explain ourselves to outsiders! We don't want you here, you aren't _needed _here! What do you think you can do against those monsters, when _he _was completely powerless?" He growled, his hazel eyes gleaming with tears threatening to spill. ''When Ame and everyone else comes back, everything will be just fine!''

''Kenki, this isn't the time to be throwing a fit!"Haana scolded, tears welling up in her green eyes. ''They are here to help! Without them, we'd be completely at Kuro's mercy!''

''They are a bunch of kids!" He argued again, pointing a finger at their direction. ''Just because they can multiply, doesn't mean they cans save us! _He _was a grown man, damn it!"

''ENOUGH!" Gurehai snapped, making fearful eyes turn to her. Kids and women alike stared at her in suprise, while Kenki took a step back. ''Listen here, _kid_.'' She then said in a terrifyingly calm voice, settling her gaze on the brunette boy. ''You obviously lost someone close to you on the attack. Was it your father? An uncle, a brother? Well, guess what?" She inquired, leaning close to him. ''We don't care.'' That made Kenki freeze.

''What?"

''We don't care. We've lost people too. Each and every one of us.'' She continued, pointing between herself, Naruto, Sasuke and Neji, who she knew had lost his father when he was only four. Something she learned during the Exams. ''Some of us, have lost more people than you could possibly imagine.'' She went on, referring to Sasuke, who looked at the ground. ''Do you see us wailing about it?"

''B-but... but...''

''No, you don't. And that's because we stayed strong, and we moved on. Now, we have to protect you, your family and your neighbors, so that no one looses a loved one to those bandits again. Get your shit together, and help us out.'' That made everyone within hearing distance fall silent. Tsubaki and Rozuu, who sat next to each other between Naruto and Neji, gasped, giggling.

''She said a bad language word.''

Kenki hung his head, shaggy hair falling in front of his eyes. His fist clenched and unclenched twice, and he exhaled shakily.

''They... some of them... they blew fire out of their mouths.'' He finally said, raising his head, defeat evident in his face and eyes. ''And they carried weapons, Kuro in pouches like the ones all of you carry around.'' That made team Hai glance quickly at each other.

''Kuro is their leader, yes?"

''Yeah.'' 

''Come here, Kenki.'' Gurehai paused for a moment before calling out his name. When the boy joined them in their circle, she turned to the twins and knelt down. ''Rozuu, Tsubaki. Could you please bring us some water? We will be talking for quite a while here, and our throats will go dry.'' The kids stood up, excitement in their green eyes. Glad they could help out, they ran off without another word. ''Sasuke?"

''There is no doubt. They used Katon Jutsus.'' The Uchiha nodded. ''The majority of them requires chakra to pour out of the user's mouth, so they must be...''

''Rogue ninja. Or at least, their leader is. He could have taught the others, if their chakra levels were even a little below average.'' Neji added, crossing his arms over his chest. ''We have a Suiton user.'' He then said, looking at his Captain.

''No.'' The Kunoichi argued with a sigh. ''My Water Release is not strong enough to properly counter one Katon technique, much less a bunch of them. Sasuke's Katon has more chances of besting theirs. I can only create walls around the village, and hope for the best.''

''Then, do that.'' Sasuke said. ''We have to make battle plans as well. We don't know when they'll strike next.''

''I have that covered.'' Gurehai stated, picking up a nearby twig and using it to draw on the soil. ''Naruto's Shadow Clones and my Earth Clones will keep on rebuilding the village. We have to get that part of the mission done as quickly as possible. On a second thought, I'll have to dismiss the Earth Clones.'' She pondered, closing her eyes in order to concentrate. ''In order to create the walls around the village, I need all the chakra I have.''

''Neji, in case of an attack, you will be our asset. Use your Byakugan and Gentle Fist to take a bandit hostage. That way, we can interrogate him and hopefully get some information on Kuro and his abilities, so we know how to best protect Tori.''

''Naruto.'' She called next, and the blonde's eyes snapped to hers, as he was eager to help out. ''Thanks to you, we can outnumber them. And I repeat, please, do not seek out a fight. Our duty is to protect the villagers. Nothing more. Don't try to take on anyone whose true strength you don't know.''

''Sasuke, your Sharingan is powerful. Read the enemy's movements, evaluate their skills and test their fighting style. If it it matches that of a trained ninja, then some of them or just the leader are Rogues.''

''I will be completely honest with you.'' She then lowered her voice, in a way that only her teammates and Kenki could hear what she was saying. ''This mission is not an C-Rank. You must have noticed something is off, too. The scope of our mission was to protect the village against bandits, mere _thieves_. This situation here, is forcing as to deal with Chunin level Ninjutsu users, enemy shinobi.''

''It's a B-Rank...'' Naruto realized, mouth hang open.

''I am neither underestimating your skills nor my leadership abilities, but I think it might turn out to be too much for us. I know none of you three are ordinary Genin, but I have to be realistic. Genin are not supposed to carry out B-Rank missions, and newly-promoted Chunin like me are not supposed to be leading them.''

''What are you saying?" Kenki interrupted, abruptly standing up. Anger was showing in his face again. ''That you are abandoning us? You made me accept you, and said you would help us out, and now you are leaving? I knew it! I knew I shouldn't trust you!" He spat, earning glares and cold looks from team Hai.

''Once again, I am telling you to shut up.'' Gurehai demanded with her icy blue orbs fixed on him, daring him to make another move. ''I never said we'd abandon the mission, or you. I simply stated that it might turn out to be more than _we _can handle.''

''You are calling for back-up.'' Neji smirked, realization raining down on him.

''Exactly. I am going to write to Lady Fifth, as soon as we are done discussing battle plans. I'll ask for reinforcements, which will hopefully arrive the day after the letter is delivered. We reached Tori withing two days, so a couple of Chunins should cover the same distance in about twenty hours of running. We'll-...''

Her speech was cut short, when Naruto gasped, his hand flying to his chest. The twins came back with two trays in hand, containing glasses of water and cups of tea.

''Naruto, what's wrong?"

''My Shadow Clones... they are getting destroyed!'' He exclaimed, and a worried expression washed over the Aoyo. 

''Neji!" She called, turning to the Hyuga. ''Enemy presences!"

''Byakugan!" The boy squinted his eyes, veins popping around all around them. ''Eighteen, no, twenty, twenty one of them! Over the village gate!" He listed, and Tsubaki gasped, letting the tray she was holding fall on the ground with a loud clatter. 

''Naruto, make the Shadow Clones take all the women and children to the center of the village, at the main House! Kenki, you take Tsubaki and Rozuu and go! This is no place for the three of you right now! Neji, just like we discussed!'' She ordered, taking two kunais out of her pouches, coating them in lightning. ''Earth Clones, I want you around the main House, in Manji formation!''

''Oi you, Captain or whatever.'' Kenki argued, shielding the twins behind his back as the Earth Clones that had gathered around them jumped towards the instructed location. ''I am not staying with the children! They left me behind to protect the village!"

''You aren't a ninja, Kenki. You don't stand a chance against them! Do as you are told, or you'll die and take those two with you!" She hissed, nodding her head towards the five-year-olds. Without waiting for a response, her words final, she ran off. ''Team Hai, with me!"

The four of them ran towards the gates, which had been completely destroyed, wood cracking under the bandits' feet. They were all dressed in black. They looked threatening, all of them adults, holding weapons. One of them laughed evilly, holding a young girl by her hair. Gurehai didn't hesitate to throw him the kunai she was holding. He cried out when it lodged in the back of his palm, and he let the civilian go, falling down while clutching his hand.

''Ran back to the main House.'' The Aoyo told the little girl, who nodded, with tears in her eyes, and took off as fast as her short legs could carry her. ''Who are you, and what is your business with this village?" She demanded, holding up another blade. ''If you don't answer, I am afraid we'll have to make you.''

''No way!" One of the men laughed, a crazy, wide grin almost splitting his face in half. ''Hear that boss? That girl wants us t-...''

''I heard what she said, baka.'' Someone else growled out, and Kuro stepped forward, staring at the Chunin with an amused expression through his one visible eye. His was taller than most, with greasy black hair, and... a crossed out Leaf protector around his neck. ''Don't take her lightly. That brat is a Chunin of Konohagakure.''

''You must be Kuro, the leader.'' She stated, inspecting him. ''Like I said before, if you don't tell me what your business here is, I will have to force it out of you. No one passes past this point, not with us here.'' Kuro glared hard at her. Then, he slowly took out a sword. 

''Men...'' He started, raising it above his head. The Leaf ninja tensed, getting into their fighting stances. With one final smirk, the leader brought his sword down. ''SCATTER! I WANT THE CHUNIN ALIVE!"

She could see Neji near her, using his unique fighting style to immobilize the bandits and knock them out. She mainly used Taijutsu too, slashing at them with her kunais. Some of them proved harder to defeat than others, forcing her to use Ninjutsu.

Her Rock Fist collided with the jaw of the man who had mocked her earlier, efficiently sending him flying through the air, and into the woods were they had come out from. When her right eye started to sting behind her white locks, she knew the force had snapped his neck.

Suddenly, the corner of her eye caught some strange movement, and she pushed the bandit attacking her back violently, turning to look. She saw one of the men pointing a crossbow towards the direction of someone, who was struggling against a bandit himself, defending himself with a bo staff. 

''KENKI, YOU IDIOT!" She bellowed, running to him with all the speed she could. The crossbow was fired, and blood spluttered around the boy's clothes. ''I told you to stick with the others... Baka...'' She winced, kicking the man he had been fighting away with a grunt. Taking the arrow out of her shoulder and throwing it back at the archer's chest, she ignored the pain in her eye once more.

''You...you...'' The brunette stuttered, looking at her bleeding wound in shock. ''You're b-b-bleeding!" He managed to say, letting his bo fall on the ground with a thud.

''This? This is nothing. Don't you know _you_ could have died if it hit you?"

''I-I don't care!" He yelled back, clenching his fists. ''Father died too! He died protecting me, protecting the village!" Now panting, he closed his eyes shut, in order to stop the tears from falling. ''I have to die like him to! I have to protect everyone! I HAVE TO HONOR HIS DEATH, BECAUSE NOBODY ELSE DOES!" That made Gurehai gasp. Her expression changed, eyes clouding with memories.

_''Hai! Get away from here, now!''_

_''But fath-...''_

_''No, I said leave! Run back to the Hidden Leaf!"_

_I told him to ran away and hide, _she realized, pressing a hand on her wound. _I told him to abandon the fight, and save himself, just like he said to me..._

''I said it once, and I will say it again.'' She sighed, putting pressure on her shoulder. ''You are an idiot.'' Kenki opened his mouth to protest, but she silenced him. ''A big one, at that! Why die like him, and honor his death, when you can make him proud by living the life he would have wanted, and fulfill his wishes?" The boy had obviously never thought about that. ''You never thought he wouldn't have wanted you to throw your life away like that, did you? That's why you are an idiot. What kind of parent would have expected that from their kid?"

''GURE-CHAN!" Naruto's voice hollered, before the hazel eyed boy could answer. Turning sharply to see what was wrong, her eyes nearly bulged out.

On the tree line, half a mile away from where they were standing and Tori, Kuro and six more bandits stood side by side, exhaling simultaneously... fire. The humongous Katon Jutsu had taken the form of a gigantic Fireball, that was heading straight towards the Leaf shinobi... and the village.

''Shit.'' She cursed loudly, pushing Kenki behind her. ''TEAM HAI, BEHIND ME! NOW!'' She shouted, running a few steps forward and kneeling down. _This is bad... this is really, really bad, _she contemplated, watching as the Great Fireball approached. _If it hits, we will most certainly burn alive, and even we jump out of the way, it's gonna destroy half of the village, no doubt. I have to... I have to..._

She closed her eyes, amassing every ounce of chakra she could grasp inside her body. But it wasn't enough. She felt her Earth Clones disperse, and her head ache. Her right eye was burning, but she didn't care.

''Gure, what are you doing?" Sasuke's voice called from behind her, and she spat. 

_''_Shut up, Uchiha!" 

_Lord Third, you taught me this, _she panted, bringing her hands close to her chest. _You taught me this, but I could never do it. But I have to, or else, all these people will die, and it will all be on me. So now... _She opened her left eye, the right one burning with a fire that clouded her mind. _I WILL DO THIS, JUST LIKE YOU WOULD HAVE!_

_Ram, Hare, Boar... Monkey, Dog._

The world seemed to explode around her, as she slammed her hands on the ground. The ground beneath her cracked, and the earth shook, rumbling with the enormous surge of power. She looked at the fire about to consume her, and screamed.

''DOTON: GREAT APE MUD WALL!"


	27. Ulterior Motives-The Aftermath

_The world seemed to explode around her, as she slammed her hands on the ground. The ground beneath her cracked, and the earth shook, rumbling with the enormous surge of power. She looked at the fire about to consume her, and screamed._

_''DOTON: GREAT APE MUD WALL!"_

Before her, the familiar dark brown surface of her Mud Walls rose. The noise it made, breaking through the ground, made it hard not to cover her ears. She didn't know what the others were doing, and she couldn't bother herself with it. She could only force more and more chakra from her hands through the ground, and make the Wall grow taller, thicker, stronger.

She immediately felt when the Fireball made contact, and not by the thundering explosion that occurred. She felt it deep in her bones, in her trembling arms, that were desperately trying to stay attached to the ground, and continue to push chakra through it.

_It hurts... it hurts.... so badly.... It feels like my arms are on fire... and being shattered by boulders, at the same time... Pull through, I have to pull through... Keep it up, and in a few seconds, it will all be over... and perhaps, I'll get to lie down afterwards, and replenish all this chakra..._

_''_GUREHAI!" Neji's voice came from next to her, before the dust settled. His hands rested on her shoulders, and she knew it was over. She allowed herself to take the deepest breath she could master, and then fell back, lying on the ground with her hands limp on her sides. The smoke cleared, and everyone gasped.

In front of the village, 85 feet above the grassy meadow, stood a perfect block of hardened soil. But, what made it truly terrifying, was the gigantic ape trying to break free from inside it, visible from the waist and up in both sides of the Mud Wall, hitting its fists on its chest. Sculpted intricately in a way that showed the rage on the animal's face, its jaws were parted, representing the ferocious roar that would have been let out if it were alive. 

Naruto backed away in fear, falling on his butt. From the other side of the Wall, the bandits looked up with wide eyes. The Great Ape looked almost _alive. _Kuro gritted his teeth and grabbed one of his men that attempted to run away by the back of his neck.

''Where do you think you're going, scum?" He growled at his face, and the man whimpered. ''I said I wanted the Chunin. Do you see her unconscious, on _our _side of the field?"

''But... boss... our Fireball... our Fireball didn't even scratch that... t-that thing!'' The bandit stuttered, gulping down the lump in his throat... that Kuro snapped, a second later.

''I don't want cowards under my command.'' He spat at him, tossing him on the ground. ''IF THE FIREBALL DOESN'T SCRATCH THE WALL, THEN WE PASS IT AND ATTACK FROM THERE!" He then hollered, attracting his men's attention. ''GO!"

The yelling didn't go unheard by the Leaf ninja, and especially Gurehai. She took one last breath and sat up, and accepted Neji's outstretched hand, standing up. ''They are coming again.'' She said, panting. Her chest had started to ache, and from all her past experiences, it wasn't a good sign. ''This time... this time, when they come, attack with the intent to kill.'' Sasuke and Naruto had joined the two, now listening in on her instructions. ''I know it's probably a lot to ask... but they aren't going to stop. And for some reason, they want me alive.'

''Got it.'' The Uchiha nodded, activating his Sharingan. Then he and the Uzumaki ran off, engaging the enemies that had gotten around the Wall. 

''Gurehai, I don't think it would be wise for you to continue fighting.'' The Hyuga said, and the Aoyo turned to see his Byakugan was activated. ''Your chakra flow... it's been disturbed... your chakra is almost depleted.''

''I appreciate the concern.'' She told him, and took out two kunais. ''But I know my limits. I'll keep going, just not using Ninjutsu. We have to keep them off the village.'' The boy looked at her expressionlessly, hiding his emotions. She was his captain. He couldn't order her around. ''Did you get a bandit?"

''Yes.'' He replied, nodding towards a limp body on the ground, a few feet away. Then his head snapped up, alarming the Chunin. ''They are coming from the left, seven of them. The rest are going for Naruto and Sasuke.'' He paused, glancing at the wound on her shoulder. ''Don't die.''

''Wasn't planning on it.'' She sighed, and attacked the bandit closest to her.

On the other end of the Wall, Sasuke was fighting Kuro. Despite his Sharingan flickering back and forth, left and right, he had trouble blocking the Rogue's attacks, that were slightly faster than he had expected, and had started to become even faster. He had already used some Katon Jutsu, and he knew his chakra wouldn't last much longer, especially with the Dojutsu activated. Letting his eyes fade to their normal black color, he pushed the man back with all his strength and put some distance between them.

''What's wrong, boy?" Kuro sneered, slowly advancing. ''Tired already? Those eyes are the Sharingan... are they not? Don't tell me that's all the power of the Uchiha clan!" Then he feigned regret, oblivious of Naruto and his two Shadow Clones creeping up on him. ''That's right, I forgot! THERE IS NO UCHIHA CLAN!"

''RASENGAN!" Kuro's eyes widened and he turned around sharply when the Uzumaki's voice erupted from behind him, making Sasuke relieved and angry at the same time. Sure, he had probably saved him, but then again, he intervened with his fight. _His _fight. His tired face changed into one of irritation, but it all went away... It all went away when the Rogue brought his fingers to his chin in a seal, and flickered away.

The two teammates gasped as the spiraling blue orb came closer and closer to Sasuke by the second, aiming for his chest. The brunette didn't have any time to back away, and the blonde didn't have any time to redirect his hit, as he was suspended in mid air. He could only struggle to cancel the technique as quickly as he could, which, in the end, was not quickly enough.

''Sasuke!" Gurehai yelled, as the half-completed Rasengan hit her subordinate in the chest. She threw the knife she was holding at a bandits heart, who had engaged in hand-to-hand combat with her only a few seconds later. The pain in her eyes distracted her from the fight, and if it weren't for Neji, who jumped between her and the enemy that came at her, sword raised, she would have probably been taken away unconscious. The boy buried his palm on his chest, and sent him on his knees.

''He isn't dead, Gurehai!'' The Hyuga assured her, stopping her from running towards the injured Uchiha. She hissed and took out more shuriken, getting into her fighting stance as more bandits came for her. 

''Naruto!" She yelled at the Uzumaki, who was looking at the unconscious Sasuke with wide eyes. ''Create Shadow Clones to take him to the Main House, now! Don't distract yourself from the battle!" Not waiting to see if he did as told, her attention was attracted by something else... or rather, a scream.

Her head turned to see Tsubaki, crying in the rough hands of Kuro, who was dragging her away from Rozuu. Kenki appeared behind them, raising his bo to attack and get him to let go the little girl. Kuro snarled and backhanded him, sending him face first to the ground next to Tsubaki's twin.

''Tsubaki! Damn it!" She cursed, but drifted further away, deflecting the hits of a long haired man. 

''MEN! RETREAT! RETREAT!'' The leader's voice echoed through the entire meadow, and instantly, the bandit she was fighting landed a kick on the back of her left knee and jumped away, leaving her on the dirt next to the Hyuga. ''YOU HEAR ME, CHUNIN? I AM GIVING YOU UNTIL NIGHTFALL! TURN YOURSELF OVER IN EXCHANGE FOR THE LITTLE BRAT, OR SHE'LL SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES!" 

It seemed only seconds later, that her eyes closed shut.

\----

When she was finally awake, she was met with the wooden ceiling of her hut. She groaned but quickly sat up, the thin covers falling on her lap. She traced her body with her hand, and noticed bandages were wrapped all around her chest and shoulder. Besides that, she only wore her black shorts. Praying that it was someone like Haana who wrapped her and her wound up, she gritted her teeth and stood up.

The thing that surprised her most was that besides a dull ache where the arrow had hit, she didn't feel ill. Not even light headed, a usual feeling after chakra exhaustion. Then she looked outside the window, and her blue orbs widened. The sky was orange, sign that there was less than an hour for the end of her deadline. Hearing voices outside, and recognizing Kenki and Naruto's she angrily put on her tattered sandals. Throwing on her cloak and nothing else over her wrapped chest, the girl thrusted the door open and stepped outside.

A small crowd was gathered around the fountain, and several sobs could be heard. As she got closer, she saw Sasuke lying on a blanket next to the fountain, a wet cloth around his forehead. Haana sat by his side, wetting it from time to time, with a red faced Rozuu on her knees. 

Naruto and Kenki were indeed there, arguing amongst themselves. One was shouting and pointing, the other shouting and pointing with tears in his eyes. With an angry expression _almost_ cracking her usual mask, Gurehai approached with a quick, long strides. Neji, who wasn't far away himself, standing with his arms crossed next to Haana, was the first to notice her.

''Gureh-..'' His greeting was cut off by the sound of flesh slapping against flesh, and all noise subsided as the Konoha nin and the Tori resident turned to face her with wide eyes.

''Oi! What ar-...'' Kenki started, holding his tear streaked cheek, where the Aoyo had slapped him. Hard.

''Shut up!" She growled, anger evident in her eyes. ''I told you to take the twins and go to the Main House, or else your lives would be in danger. You disobeyed me, and look what's happening now! Tsubaki has been taken, and if I don't come up with a plan within the next forty minutes, they'll probably kill her!''

''Gure-chan...'' Naruto started, but was instantly interrupted.

''Don't get me started on you, Naruto. I told you to fight with the intent to kill yes. But I also said, before all of this had even began, that you shouldn't go for enemies whose true strength you didn't know. It doesn't matter how special the technique is. It almost killed Sasuke!" She scolded, finally pausing to take a breath. ''Haana-san.'' She addressed the woman, in a perfectly calm tone. ''How is he?"

''Stable, for now.'' She replied, soaking the cloth around his head again. ''But I am afraid the water of the fountain won't do much. It's only for energy replenishment, and his injuries are physical.''

''Water with energy replenishing properties?" The Chunin mumbled, figuring it out. ''That explains why I don't feel tired.'' She then turned to the Hyuga, who had been watching the scene unfold silently.

_She told us, _he thought. _She told us about the mission, how it was her first as a Captain, and how she had worries. It didn't show, no. But she had. She said that we wouldn't want to mess it up, either, she gave us advice. And now, not only did the mission turn out to be of a different level, herself and her subordinates are injured, and one of the people she was supposed to be protecting has been captured. She probably thinks that she has failed, that the situation has gotten out of hand, that this is out of her league..._

When he looked into her blue eye, he only saw determination.

..._But it isn't._

''Neji.'' She called. ''Where is the bandit you knocked out?" The boy turned his head and motioned to a spot behind the fountain, which she hadn't noticed upon her arrival. There, tied to a wooden post, sat a man dressed in black, like the rest of his comrades. 

His pale head was shaved, and he was older than the others she had fought. He had a strong jaw, and... and he wore an eye patch. His remaining eye glared at her, his mouth not even covered. _An eye patch? Just like the man that accompanied the village elder to Konoha? Don't tell me..._

''Haana-san, have you ever seen this man before?" She asked the pregnant woman, who shook her head no immediately. 

''He was the first trying to get into the village.'' Neji informed the Chunin, who lowered down on the man's eye level. ''He was probably trying to reach-...''

''The Main House.'' Gurehai didn't blink, watching the prisoner's reactions. ''Where is the Elder now?"

''Father is asleep.'' Haana replied with a sad smile. ''He hasn't been well these past two days. At least, not more than usual.''

''Kenki, Rozuu.'' She then addressed the boys. ''You are the Elder's grandchildren, so you pass a lot of of your time with him at the Main House, am I right?" Met with hesitant nods,she sighed. ''And you, too, have never seen this man before now?" Negative responses. ''Then... people of Tori, I am afraid you have fallen for a sick trick.'' The women around gasped.

''You.'' She snapped at the bald man, who glared at her. ''You have been messing with the Elder's head behind everyone's back, haven't you? Genjutsu traces are all around you." His black eye widened slightly, almost not enough for her to notice. ''When I was asked the question 'how many eyes does the bird have', I was confused. After some thought, though, the bird turned out to be the village itself, Tori. The eyes should represent the eyes of the villagers.''

''Recalling a meeting with the Hokage, I estimated the number. A hundred and fifty residents. The Elder is blind, but the man guarding him wore an eye patch, and was bald. Assuming he was blind in one eye, I answered what I thought was correct. But, in reality, I was just lucky.''

''What?" The Hyuga and Kenki exclaimed in unison, and the girl held up a hand, telling them to wait.

''You, Kenki, were supposed to let in only the shinobi that answered your riddle correctly. I am grateful that you thought about how we probably wouldn't know that your father had passed away, and let me in under the impression that I counted him in, as well. Truth is, I didn't. I counted this man, right here.''

''What is the meaning of this?" An older woman shrieked from next to them, keeping away from the bandit in the process. ''Explain!"

''I will, ma'am. But first, I want to ask all of you something. Kenki's father, the Elder's son... he was blind in one eye, was he not? And, furthermore, he was bald, just like this man?" Silence fell over the villagers. A few seconds later, they nodded. ''I thought so. He was also escorting the elder to Konoha, in order to request this very mission?" More nods. ''When did he die?"

''W-we... we heard him scream, a week after they left for Konohagakure. Our men, who were still here at the time, ran out of the village... only to find Akano dead... by the bandits, who were targeting the Elder...'' Haana said, with tears in her green eyes. Gurehai waited a moment and the sighed deeply, rubbing her temples. _This is not going to be easy._

''Once again, I am sorry to announce bad news. The Elder's son, Akano, died long before then.'' That made everyone upset. Gasps and whispers and protesting erupted all around. ''Akano wasn't the man that arrived in Konoha along with the Elder. It was this one, here.'' She pointed at the bald man, who squirmed a little.

''But, why?" Neji asked, confusion evident in his pale face.

''That's what I don't know yet. But, my gut tells me that it's linked to the fact that Kuro wants me.'' She then averted her eyes from her teammate, and trained them on the hostage. ''Why does he want me? Your leader, the Rogue? Why did you and Akano swap places?"

''Gurehai, he can't speak.'' The long haired boy butted in, making her frown. As to prove the boy's statement, the bandit stuck his tongue out. An ink black tattoo shaped like a sword was there, its blade pointed towards his throat. ''It must be a Curse Seal. If he tries to say anything about his gang, he dies.''

''I see.'' She hummed, and a small smirk appeared on the man's lips, which instantly disappeared after her following words. ''You think that's gonna stop me from getting the things I need?" She rhetorically asked, waving for Neji to come close to her. ''Neji, come here. Hold him down, please. I don't want him trashing around while I get the information out of him.''

''Gure-chan, don't tell me...'' Naruto said, finally speaking after all this time. The Chunin only nodded, and placed her left hand in a seal near her chin. The other palm outstretched and came close to the outlaw's forehead. He could only try to break free from his restraints and the Hyuga.

''Kiokugomon.'' His eye widened, and hers closed.

She saw memories upon memories, feelings, dark situations. Above all she saw the bandits, Kuro and his instructions, the baldy's individual mission. She saw a man with a single, green eye, looking an awful lot like Kenki. When her eyes opened once more, the man was out of the Genin's hands and on the ground, dead. She felt no remorse.

''I am sorry for that. But, I have every piece of information we need.'' She was unaware of the screams that had been ripping the bandit's lungs apart, mere seconds ago. Nobody told her, either. The pain in her right was almost non existent. ''This will be a long explanation, but I have about fifteen minutes, so...''

''... The bandits, with Kuro, a Konohagakure Rogue as their leader, wanted to grow stronger, not just survive based on what they stole for villages like yours. So, the ex-ninja drew on the information he had during his time in Konoha, and remembered that Chunin, like me, have scrolls in their vests, like the one I wear. They include Sealing Techniques, Jutsus, and Sealed Equipment, maps. They had to get their hands on it, but, of course, they couldn't attack the Leaf, or a platoon of Chunin, on that matter. So, what was left for him to do? Go for an easy target, a team of Genin, led by a Chunin.''

''He knew their status, as Rogues and bandits, would rank the mission Tori would request a B- or higher rank. They didn't want that. So, they waited for Akano and the Elder to exit the village, and attacked. The couldn't harm the Elder, obviously. Instead, they took Akano hostage, and presented an exact look-alike of him to Konoha. The Elder was put under Genjutsu by him, and spoke the words he wanted to, requesting a C-Rank mission.''

''They couldn't let the Elder go back to Tori with him at his side, nor could they let Akano simply go. So they killed him when the two had returned, and made it look like he was killed on the way home, protecting his father. The Elder could say nothing, under the Genjutsu, so he said nothing. Then we came. I answered the riddle correctly, like I explained before. And then it was time for Kuro to attack, and take me and my vest with him.''

''It didn't turn out like he wanted to, so he took Tsubaki, the Elder's granddaughter hostage, and demanded a trade. Me, for her. Who could refuse?''

''But now, they are coming. What are we supposed to do?" Kenki cried, shaken up from the new information. 

Gurehai fell silent for a while, turning to look at her hut. From afar, and through the door she had left open, her Chunin vest could be seen on the chair next to the door. She stared at it skeptically, and then looked at the fountain a few feet away. Finally she glanced at Naruto.

''Naruto.'' The blonde looked at her. ''I need you for the plan. Also, Haana-san, can I have a cup of that water?" Not even a minute later, when the plan had just managed to be discussed, loud voices and yelling echoed from the broken down gates.

''COME OUT, CHUNIN! WE'RE HERE!" Kuro bellowed, and the villagers and Leaf ninja looked at each other. When Gurehai began heading for the bandits, a small hand on her wrist stopped her. She stared down at Rozuu's green orbs, and took her green vest, which he was offering to her with tears in the corners of his eyes.

''We'll bring her back.'' She just said, motioning for him to stay put. Haana wrapped an arm around his shoulders keeping close to Sasuke. Naruto and Neji walked up to her, the first forming a seal.

The last few rays of sunlight danced across the grassy terrain, when the three walked past the Great Ape Mud Wall and stood several yards away. The sky, painted blue and orange, seemed to stall the setting of the sun, waiting for the exchange.

''What's it gonna be, Chunin?" Kuro asked tauntingly, holding up Tsubaki by the back of her shirt. On his left and right, only eight bandits remained. ''Will you come over to me willingly.... or will I have to get my hands dirty?" The Aoyo gave him a hard stare, and then untied the weapon pouches from around her thighs.

''Let her go. I won't hesitate to choke you with my bare hands, if I have to.'' She said, slowly advancing towards him. He chuckled and his face changed into one of delight. ''Tsubaki, look at me.'' She then said, attracting the crying girl's attention. ''I want you to walk over to Neji, and he'll take you to Haana. Don't look back, okay? I'll be just fine.''

When she reached Kuro, the man finally let the five-year old go. She stumbled slightly and then took off running into the Hyuga's arms. _Even as a Rogue, at least he has a shred of dignity left. But still.... he's a Rogue, who killed and tortured._

''Now...'' The leader smirked maliciously, raising his weapon above her head. ''...I'll just go ahead and do my thing.'' With that, he let the hand that was raised above his head fall. Gurehai didn't even brace herself for the impact.... that never came. 

Quick sounds of earth splitting apart came from all around the party, and nine identical gasps were heard, followed by curses and grunts.

''Bitch!" Kuro spat at her face, when she slowly turned around to face him. Her two Earth Clones, that had risen from underground, along with sixteen of Naruto's Shadow Clone's, looped their arms around his biceps and forced them backwards, making him gasp for breath. Two Shadow Clones did the same for each bandit around them, and immobilized them.

''You abandoned Konoha, robbed, tortured, kidnapped, killed. Kuro, leader of the bandits, did you seriously think that you could best us? A united team?'' Her eyes had transformed to slits, glaring down at him in disdain. Then, she glanced at Neji from over her shoulder, and, in a painstakingly slow pace, formed hand seals. ''Neji... cover her eyes.'' The boy obeyed with a nod and pressed Tsubaki's head on his shoulder, making her look at the Mud Wall behind them instead.

''Chidori.'' 

\---- 

The week passed by quicker than anyone would expect. Every hut and house was now inhabited, just like before the attack. The Elder, although tired, had a clear head, and apologized for the trouble from the depths of his heart. When the men returned, bearing gifts and most importantly food for the autumn and winter to come, team Hai were treated like kings and queens. The night of the return, the feast and celebrations were inevitable. 

The teens, with Sasuke still unconscious, decided to leave the day after. Carrying flasks full of the fountain water, and with whatever minor injuries they had healed, the waved the twins, Haana and Kenki, who blushed profoundly during his exchange of 'farewells' with Gurehai, goodbye. 

The roaring Great Ape watched after them for the miles to follow, a reminder of their feats. As they left the newly named village Sarutori* behind, the Chunin breathed in relief, for the success of her first mission. She, however, would never find out that when Haana gave birth to her child later that month, she named her little boy Shirohai*.

Now, with Sasuke travelling on the back of one of her sturdy Earth Clones, they moved with a steady pace through the Land of Fire's forests. The boy, dazed, opened his eyes, and was met with a waterfall of white hair.

''Gure?" He groaned, black eyes half-open.

''Sasuke.'' The real Aoyo exclaimed, purposefully falling behind a bickering Naruto and Neji to walk alongside him and her Clone. ''It's nice to see you woke up, but you should probably rest again. The mission is over. We'll reach Konoha in about two days, and Lady Fifth can take care of you then.''

''We're going back home.''


	28. The Return

''Soraku Gurehai, Captain of Team Hai for the mission in the village Tori, reporting.'' The white haired girl recited, standing with a nervous Naruto and a stoic Neji a few steps behind her in the Hokage's office. ''Mission, successful. The village was rebuilded completely, and the villagers protected. The bandits, all eliminated. Kuro of Konohagakure, Rogue ninja and leader of the gang, is dead.''

''Of Konohagakure?" Tsunade asked with hard stare, as if to verify the new piece of information.

''Yes, Lady Fifth. The man wore a head protector with a crossed out Leaf symbol on it. Inspecting it up close, I was convinced it was authentic.'' Gurehai added, her gaze on the Hokage unwavering. _She's going to question his position, and his role on the mission. She'll want to know why I didn't write back to the Village for back up, and my argument is going to look like plain excuses._

The Sannin stayed silent for a few seconds, staring at the three teens with her chin resting on her intertwined fingers. Then, her eyes narrowed. ''You are one Genin short.'' She commented, and Naruto gulped.

''Sasuke was admitted to the Hospital the moment we arrived at the Village. I wanted to report to you, and ask you to take a look at him and his case, which I am afraid is not a normal one. He was hit by a Rasengan in the chest.''

''A Rasengan?" Tsunade gasped, her eyes switching from the Chunin to Naruto in less than a second. 

''A half-completed one, yes.''

''Granny Tsunad-...'' The Uzumaki started, already determined to explain the situation to the woman and take the weight off Gurehai's shoulders. But, he was immediately cut of by the Aoyo herself, who didn't hesitate to raise her voice over his.

''I take the full blame and responsibility for it. Sasuke wouldn't have suffered that injury if it weren't for my poor battle tactics.'' She said, bowing her head. ''Now, since the report is over with, will you excuse me? I have to stop by the Hospital on the way home.''

She didn't have to specify who she was going to visit to the Hokage, who new it was about her mother. The boys, assuming it was Sasuke, didn't question it. When given permission to leave, she quickly exited the office and building, rushing to the Hospital.

First, she stopped by Sasuke. When she and the boys had brought him there, the nurses had taken him, and he had gotten a room by himself. Stopping by the front desk to inform them of her visit, with her Chunin vest not causing delays anymore, she took the necessary twists and turns and found herself outside his door. When she opened it, she wasn't surprised to find two more visitors there.

Sakura and Ino sat by his side, watching his sleeping form. A vase with flowers had been placed on the table by the window, obviously by them, since it hadn't been there when she had dropped him of. Four flowers were in it, brightening up the atmosphere. The Genin noticed her instantly, and raised their heads. First in their eyes, was curiosity, to see who it was. Then, realization. After that, shock.

''Gure?" The Yamanaka gasped, inspecting her head to toe. Just like with Shikamaru, she was more than surprised to see her change in attire. The green Chunin vest couldn't stand out more against her white hair, the way it fell on her shoulders in waves. ''What are you wearing?"

''Y-you made Chunin?" Sakura added, green eyes widening. Gurehai didn't answer to either of the questions, despite wanting to rub it in their faces deep inside. Instead, she closed the door behind her with an indifferent expression and approached the patient's bed, staring down at him with sadness in her blue eyes.

''Has he woken up at all the past hour?" She asked the girls, who looked at her curiously. When they shook their heads no, she sighed and kept staring at his peaceful face, as if waiting for him to suddenly wake up and tell her he was alright. ''Lady Fifth should be coming, any minute now. She'll take care of him.''

''What even happened? He just got out of the hospital, and then he was off to some mission a few days later. You were together, weren't you? You, and Sasuke, and Naruto?" Sakura demanded, and the Aoyo glanced at her through her heavy lidded eyes. What was she supposed to tell them? That Naruto hurt him? That he almost died because of him? Or should she shoulder the blame, just like she had in front of Tsunade? It was her fault, after all, and in the end, the answer was clear.

''The three of us and Neji were on a mission. Sasuke got hurt because of my poor battle tactics, there's nothing more to it. As the Captain of the mission, the blame is mine to bear.'' _Are you going to yell at me? Are you going to make me feel even more like shit, as if I don't know what I've done? Well then, Yamanaka, Haruno. Do it. It will make no difference. Do it, so I can go visit her._

''So you just let him get hurt under your watch, huh?" The blonde exploded, like she had read the girl's mind. ''Team Captains are supposed to watch over their subordinates! And to think I considered you to be strong after the Exams! What if Sasuke-kun died because of you?"

''Ino, st-...'' Sakura tried to make her rival to calm down, even though she too, was upset. 

''Don't tell me you aren't angry, Sakura!'' Ino snapped again. Gurehai wasn't even looking at them. She continued to stare at the Uchiha, memorizing his breathing pattern. Their voices were going to wake him up. ''Don't you know what could have happened to him? And she couldn't even protect him! In the end, you are just Gurehippo. Why did they even made you Chunin for? " With that one last angry comment, she swung her fist at Gurehai, who caught it effortlessly.

_From her perspective, she is right. Even from my perspective, she's partially right. I know what could have happened to him, and that I couldn't protect him. But it wasn't me, it wasn't. I'm not going to let you touch me, bully. Not when you're lower than me. Not now, when I've showed myself to you._

''You are right, I let him get hurt. I was supposed to watch over him, but I failed. A little more, and he would've probably been dead. I agree, I agree with what you say, and I'll accept it. But if you dare raise your hand against me again in the future, Yamanaka, I won't hesitate to break it.'' She threatened with her usual, terrifyingly calm tone, and pushed her hand away with a little more force than normal.

''Gureh-...'' The pink haired girl started again, watching the scene with sad eyes. The Chunin simply turned her back to Ino and the sleeping Uchiha, ready to leave.

''Try not to wake him up by yelling. Lady Fifth will come to see him, but until then, he needs all the rest he can get. I might pass by later.'' _Hopefully, you'll be gone until then, _she wanted to add, but sighed and took a step forward. She was stopped taking a second by a hand clasping around her wrist.

''Gure...'' Sasuke's raspy voice reached her ears, and she turned around to face him, hearing the two other visitors gasp. She looked down at him softly and he let go of her hand, trying to open his eyes up more. ''Wh... what's...'' Realizing he wasn't going to form a full sentence, she spoke on her own.

''Naruto, Neji and I brought you to the Hospital. Don't worry, the Hokage will be here soon enough, and you'll be back on your feet in no time.'' _How long has he been awake? _''I'm sorry, but I can't stay.'' She didn't care if the two girls took that as an offense, and let the boy come to his own conclusion. ''The girls will bring you some water. We'll talk later.'' Holding back the already forced smile she would have given him if they were alone, she placed his hand back on his side and turned around, exiting the room. The door closed behind her, and she made her way to her next destination.

The door to her mother's room was closed. Opening it and stepping inside, her eyes filled with sorrow upon falling on the woman. She was pale, despite the sunlight lighting the room up, and her body had thinned out, ever so slightly. Even with her eyes closed, the dark circles around them were evident, and they hadn't appeared due to the lack of sleep.

''Mother.'' She mumbled, kneeling down next to her and taking her hand into hers, cupping it with both her palms. ''They told me you were still asleep, but... I didn't think it would be like this. What's wrong? I heard you woke up, that you were asking for me. I'm sorry, I really am. It was a long mission, like I had predicted. But, it was successful.'' She talked and talked, rubbing circles on the back of Gureki's hand with her thumbs.

''Well, Sasuke got hurt. Lady Tsunade promised she'd come and see him, so I know he'll be alright. And on our trip, I met plenty of people. I made... friends. A little girl called me 'Gurehai-neesan'. Hadn't heard that since I last saw Konohamaru.'' She laughed awkwardly, trying to blink away her tears. Letting silence fall around them, she lowered her headband and let it fall on her neck, bringing her mother's hand to her forehead.

''You really have to wake up, mother.'' She then said, closing her eyes. ''I don't like staying by myself in an empty house, and you know I'm not a good cook. I don't want to end up eating ramen three times a day, like Naruto.'' She sniffled, but held the tears back. A gust of wind blew through the open window and the curtains rustled, making her raise her head. Seeing the empty table under them, she blinked. ''That's right. I'll bring some flowers tomorrow, and put them in a vase. I'll go to that small clearing by the training grounds and pick them up... I'll pick the up myself.''

''I just... all I need you to do, is wake up.'' She finally whispered, bringing the woman's hand to her lips and placing a soft kiss on it. ''I'll be back again, tonight... see if you're awake... I love you.'' The white haired Kunoichi stood up quickly and gave the older Aoyo a smile, before turning around to leave. She quickly came to a halt, when she saw Sakura in front of the door she had left open.

''Gurehai...'' She exclaimed, her eyes having the same sad look they had with Sasuke earlier. Looking closely, a few tears could be seen glistening on their corners. ''I.... I wanted to...'' She paused a bit, her gaze falling on the unconscious woman behind her teammate. ''I wanted to... apologize...''

_Apologize? _Gurehai's mind went wild, with a variety of emotions that didn't show on the outside. _She wants to apologize? And how... how long has she been standing there, watching? That's not like her... that's just not like her... at all._

''I don't need anyone's pity.'' She just said, walking out of the room, and away from her mother. ''And especially, not yours. Don't assume you know about me, because you know about my mother's condition, because you saw that.'' She then walked past her without looking back, leaving Sakura behind, secretly ashamed. ''Just because you started calling me 'Gurehai', because you decided to use my name, doesn't mean all you've done is forgotten.''

And she headed towards her empty house.

\----

Four shadows stood behind Tsunade in her office, two close to each other, the other two in the corners of the room, as if to keep away from them. The Hokage had her back turned to all of them, staring with a tired expression outside the windows.

''Naruto is ready.'' The biggest one claimed, arms crossed over his chest. With long hair flowing down to his hips, he had his back against the wall with Tsunade's desk in front of him. ''It won't be long now until he has to leave.''

''It is certain that the Akatsuki will be coming for him, then?" The woman closed her eyes, secretly envying the free birds flying in the blue skies. ''For the Nine-Tails inside him?"

''Yes, I am afraid there's no other choice but to help him draw on his inner power, control it as much as he can, and get stronger. We don't know the exact reason they want both him and Gurehai, so the only thing we can do is defend ourselves.''

''She will be leaving too, then? The lot of you, you are taking my students away one by one.'' Another voice complained dramatically, hoping to break the ice between the other four. ''When will they leave? Aren't her duties as Chunin in the way?"

''I'll keep her here for another couple of months.'' The blonde Sannin turned around, her light brown eyes traveling from the first guest on her left and the last on her right. ''Despite the success of her latest mission, she has to gain more experience. Both as a Captain and platoon member. I have created one made up by four Chunin, one of which is Gurehai herself. I have special B-Ranks destined for them. Other than that, she's more than ready.''

''More than ready?B-Rank missions? Despite my status and relation to her, I have yet to see her performance and true skills. How am I supposed to give my consent?"

''We don't need your consent, old man.'' Someone else snapped, fed up. ''The rest of us have seen extraordinary things, and agree. The Hokage has said it herself. You are really thinking of going against her word? What a teammate you are.''

''It's the truth.'' The grey-haired Jonin interrupted, before things got worse. ''She excels in Ninjutsu, her reflexes are quick, her Genjutsu can kill a man, and no one can deny her leadership abilities. She made _Chunin_, she was Lord Hiruzen's student. What is there left for her to achieve, before she leaves Konoha? We are working on perfecting her Raiton, and she has already started to learn Suiton Jutsus.''

''Why are you encouraging them, Kakashi?" The other man asked, worry evident in his voice.

''Because he's right.'' The fourth voice finally spoke, all eyes on him. ''You think we don't know she has started to learn how to tap on her growing chakra reserves as well? What that White Chidori on the day of Orochimaru's attack was? She has killed, she had killed many times. It may only be a matter of time before she awakens the Taorigan, and she's going to need guidance.''

''The Taorigan? Tsunade, you are going to allow this? After all the things she's lost, you are going to let her kill the ones she loves?'' The older ninja demanded, looking at the Hokage with fire in his dark eyes.

''You mean the people that have been lying to her her entire life?'' The previous voice said before the woman could reply, eyes blazing. ''Just because the remaining members of her family didn't awaken it, doesn't mean she can't. The Akatsuki might be preparing for war, Sannin.''

''I didn't bring you all here to argue like this!" The Hokage shouted, making all noise in the room subside immediately. ''I have made my decision, and it is final. Gureki has also given her consent, so there's nothing left to discuss. Gurehai's latest achievements are proof of what she is capable of, and it's not only her successful mission.''

''What do you mean, Lady Fifth?"

''Her subordinate, Neji Hyuga, stayed behind after the mission report earlier, and conveyed everything that happened. _Everything. _Her approach to the villagers, her battle plans, her tactics. The way she thought every situation through. Unbeknownst to me, the mission was in fact a B-Rank, with the bandits aiming to take her and the scrolls she carried. Their leader was a Rogue.''

''_Was?'' _Kakashi walked from his spot near the windows to Tsunade, watching as she opened a drawer and pulled out an all-too-familiar book, that everyone in the room recognized. ''Explain, Lady Tsunade.''

''The bandits were all eliminated, and few escaped. Having lost their leader, seeing him defeated in front of their eyes like that, I don't worry that they will get into the criminal life ever again.'' She opened the Bingo Book, and searched for the right photograph. After turning a few pages, she threw it on the wooden desk and it slid to the other end, showing to the others Kuro's pale face, with his greasy hair falling in front of his eyes. A large, red 'X' was drawn over it.

''She assassinated a Jonin.''


	29. Pain In The... Assu

''Another mission? Already?" Gurehai questioned, the very next day. In front of her, Tsunade narrowed her eyes, with her her chin on her hands, as always. 

''It's a B-Rank. This time, for sure.'' She commented, taking a scroll out from under her desk. ''An escort one. Of course, you won't be alone. Get in here, you two!" She raised her voice, and quick footsteps followed, as two pairs of feet hurried to enter the office. From the open wooden door, in came two Chunin, judging from their attire, and stumbled next to her.

''We're here, Lady Tsunade!" They simultaneously exclaimed, standing straight in front of the woman's unwavering gaze. Gurehai's eyes narrowed. She remembered them. Vividly. 

''Hagane Kotetsu, Kamizuki Izumo.'' The Sannin introduced, waving her hand between the two respectively. ''Meet your Captain, Aoyo Gurehai. The three of you, are going on a B-Rank mission.'' She added, opening the scroll she had previously taken out. The girl didn't turn to her subordinates in order to greet them.

''Captain?" She protested calmly, slightly upset on the inside. ''Lady Fifth, is that really wise? I mean, the last mission-...''

''The last mission was a success.'' Tsunade snapped, not getting into further details. ''Besides, the Feudal Lord specifically asked for you.'' At that, the white haired girl nearly choked. _The Feudal Lord? _''Like I said earlier, this is an escort mission. You are to travel to the Feudal Lord's palace and then escort his nephew, Assu, back here, in Konoha.''

After a few moments of silence, the female Chunin sighed, rolled the scroll shut, and bowed her head.

''Yes, Lady Fifth.'' She said confidently, resting her hands on the little loops of her vest. ''We will depart immediately.'' And the two men followed her outside.

\----

It didn't take more than three hours of a fast-paced jog to reach the Feudal Lords residence in the Land of Fire, outside of the safety of Konoha. Along the way, the Aoyo and her teammates exchanged little words, some of which concerned her performance on the Exams, an how she remembered them as proctors, clear as day.

The walked with confidence in their step with the female on the lead, passing through long hallways and gardens, being stared at by maids and guards. Shortly after, two gigantic double doors opened, and they entered what looked like the Feudal Lord's throne room. There he sat, on his magnificent chair, holding a small, delicate fan in front of his face. Gurehai and her subordinates bowed their heads respectfully.

''Welcome, Gurehai of the Blue Sun.'' The man said with his strangely feminine voice, and his dark eyes showed amusement, even from afar. ''And her subordinates, of course.'' He added, making Izumo and Kotetsu fangirl on the inside. ''My nephew will be delighted to have you as his escorts. He has been begging me to let him visit Konoha for months now!" He chirped, and waved his free hand in the direction of his servants. ''Bring him in.''

Another, smaller pair of wooden doors opened on the opposite side of the room, and in came a boy in his late teens, dressed in robes, and followed by two girls. The Aoyo bowed again and so did the other two Chunin.

''Lord Assu.'' She said, standing straight again and giving him the most polite smile she could muster. ''It will be our honor to protect you travel with you to Konohagakure.'' But when she looked back up at the tall boy, he gave her an awkward, nervous smile, and stepped aside. 

''Uncle, she's pwetty!" A voice called, which didn't match the boy's looks at all. Then, from behind him, appeared a much shorter person, grinning like a mad man. Gurehai had to keep her face from scrunching up. The boy couldn't be older than ten, and barely reached her shoulder in height. He had drool dripping from the corner of his mouth, and a glint in his eyes that reminded her of Konohamaru around Tsunade. ''Hellooooo.'' He waved, looking up at her with closed eyes.

Behind her, Izumo and Kotetsu paled. Sweating bullets and trying not to laugh, they looked away dramatically. _I am wasting my time being away from mother and Sasuke for this? _She mentally growled, keeping the strained smile on her face successfully.

''Hello, young Lord. My name is Gurehai, and these are my subordinates, Izumo and Kotetsu.'' She almost growled out the last part, and glared at them with the corner of her eye, giving them signal to bow and stop laughing. ''The three of us will be escorting you to Konoha. We'll leave, when you're ready.'' 

The little boy grinned again and looked up to his uncle, who nodded. Then, without a warning, he jumped up and wrapped his small body around Kotetsu's arm. ''Let's go, my loyal stallion!''

The way back to the Leaf Village did not take double the time they spent in order to reach the Feudal Lords palace, like Gurehai had imagined. Instead, when the five-hour mark had passed, the four hadn't even reached the middle, and the sun was going down quickly. Young Assu wanted a short pause every ten minutes, and he often interrupted that pattern, saying he wanted to 'use the bathwoom'. And since no bathroom was remotely close to the path they were following, the males had to take him somewhere in the woods, while the Aoyo kept watch.

The worst thing, though, came at night. Realizing they couldn't possibly reach Konoha before around two hours after midnight, the Lord's escorts set up a small tent and ushered the boy inside, who fell asleep instantly and started snoring. Agitated, Gurehai called her teammates around her.

''The two of you will go inside the tent and sleep next to him. I don't want you stumbling from the lack of sleep tomorrow. I'll stay up and watch out for anything suspicious, and set a few traps around the perimeter. We'll set out again at dawn.''

And when the two complied, she sat down with her back against a tree bark and crossed her arms.

_I didn't even get to ask Lady Fifth if healing Sasuke went well, with all this going on. With my luck, and that kid making us stop every god damn second, I'll be twenty by the time we reach the Leaf. _She frowned, and exhaled angrily. From what she could see inside the tent, Izumo had lied down on Assu's left and right. Then, the light went out. _What if Sasuke and Naruto get into a fight? I don't know id Naruto apologized, and I certainly don't know if Sasuke will accept it, anyway._

_Damn it, that was all my fault! _She growled. _Why would I pair them together, while knowing how they can be? I have a feeling this is going to turn out bad, really bad, and as always, I am only right when I don't want to be. _The minutes passed slowly, with the girl scolding herself nonstop. _And mother? I didn't have time to get her flowers today, and if this mission goes on any longer, she might get worse, and I won't even know._

Her train of thought was cut short a few seconds later, when an abnormal wave of sleepiness washed over her, making her eyelids grow heavy, and her mind hazy. Her feet failing to move, like she ordered them, her blue eyes fluttered shut, and her hands fell on her sides.

What woke her up, after what felt like mere seconds, was a shrill, girly scream, followed by a different, but identical in pitch one. And then, as if by magic, she managed to stand up, and face the tent, where a few snorts managed to be heard over the screaming. Before she could rush over and see what had happened, the tent fell down instead, and two figures crawled out.

''HELP!" The first voice that screamed exclaimed, and Gurehai's eyes widened... when she saw a topless young woman, with her hands covering her bare chest, running towards her with tears in her rolling down her red face. ''GUREHAI-TAICHOU*, HELP!" _Captain? Who in the world is that woman? Wait a minute... that hair... _''THAT LITTLE KID-...'' She suddenly stopped, opening her eyes and blinking her tears away. When her vision cleared, the woman's jaw dropped, and her spiky hair moved wildly around her as she shook her head, screaming once again. ''NO! IT'S ANOTHER PERVERT! WHAT DID YOU DO TO OUR CAPTAIN, YOU JERK?"

''Oi, what are you talking about? I _am_ Gureha-...'' She suddenly stopped talking, finally realizing how weird her voice sounded. Raising her hand up to her face, and inspecting it closely, she nearly did a double take. _I... have the hand... of a boy... what? _Using both her hands to undo her vest and letting it fall on the ground, she looked at her torso... which was flat, and her abdomen... had abs.

''What did you do, kid?" The voice that screamed second inquired, and they both turned their heads to see another young woman, with straight brown hair, wearing... the standard Leaf ninja attire, without the vest? And her dark brown eyes...

''Izumo?" Gurehai gasped with her hoarse voice, taking a cautious step forward. The woman responded, and her eyes widened. Out of the fallen tent crawled Assu... grinning like an idiot. ''Then, that means...'' She turned to the first girl, who had still tears in her confused face, and shivered like a fish out of water. ''Kotetsu? What in the world is going on, damn it?" She growled, tossing him her Chunin vest she had earlier taken off. 

''Oh, no.'' Assu pouted, drool still in the corner of his mouth, threatening to drip down. ''I wanted to make those smelly boys twansform into giwls, but I changed my white pwincess as well!'' He lowered his head, but it snapped up a second later, when Kotetsu stomped his- her foot on the ground and held a fist up in the air.

''What kind of Transformation Jutsu is this, brat?!" The spiky haired Chunin demanded, chasing the laughing kid around. ''Undo it, NOW!" Completely brushing aside their client's status, he began dodging branches and rocks in order to catch him. ''COME HERE!"

_Would it be really bad for the mission and Konoha if I bashed his little drooling face against those rocks? _Gurehai seethed, taking out a kunai and holding it up close to her face, wanting to see her reflection. She saw a face more narrow than her original, with shorter white hair and boyish features. The eyebrows, although the same color, were thinner, and the lips weren't as plump. Grateful there was still a thick strand covering her right eye, she huffed.

''I think it would, since he's the Feudal Lord's nephew and all.'' Izumo's feminine voice said from next to her, and she mentally cursed herself for thinking out loud... as always. With an agitated grunt, she tucked the kunai back in her pouch, and crossed her arms.

''Can someone take over this mission, please?"

\----

Things became even worse, when they came close to Konoha, the very next morning. Noon was approaching when they reached the Gates, and the Captain was almost certain they would have trouble being recognized by the guards. She had taken off her cloak, putting it in a scroll inside her vest, and only wore that over her black attire.

''Hold it, the four of you!" A different Chunin yelled the moment they stepped foot inside the Village, approaching them with quick strides. ''Who are you, wearing these Chunin vests? Your faces are unfamiliar!" The ninja sighed simultaneously, while Assu cracked an evil smile.

''I am Gurehai Soraku, leading Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane in an escort mission, guarding Lord Assu, nephew of our Feudal Lord.'' She explained through gritted teeth, pointing respectively at herself and the three boys. 

''Ha! As if! I've seen Gurehai Soroku before, in the finals of the Exams, and she's a girl, baka!'' The man laughed. ''And... Izumo and Kotetsu... these too?" He cackled, pointing at the two best friends who were glaring at him with all their might. ''They can't even get girlfriends like this! So now, leave, or I'll have to force you.''

''Look, whatever-your-name-is.'' The Aoyo tried again, calmly. ''We've been put under some strange Transformation Jutsu, and we need to escort Lord Assu to Lady Fifth.'' She waved her hand in the boy's direction, who was not-so discretely trying to grab one of the females' butt. Izumo quickly slapped his hands away, without his friend noticing. ''If you don't believe us, I'm afraid you'll have to bring her here yourself, and I don't think she'll be happy.''

''Like I said before, as if!" The Chunin went on, the look of terror after the thought of an angry Tsunade vanishing from his face. ''Lady Tsunade wouldn't have time for such nonsense, anyway.'' Crossing his arms, he looked away. ''She's too busy dealing with that Uchiha boy leaving the Village, ever since dawn.''

Gurehai went pale at the sound of that. Body completely frozen, she missed her subordinates' worried glances. _What... what did he... say?_

''Siw...'' Assu started, finally stepping forward. ''If you don't let us thwough this instant, I am going to tell my uncle!" He pouted, standing too short in front of the grown man. ''And then-...''

''What did you say about Sasuke Uchiha?" The Aoyo cut the boy off, grabbing the guard by the collar of his vest. Seeing the white haired boy's angered face, and the strength with which he was subconsciously holding him up, he caved in.

''He-he left the Village... I heard it was last night, around midnight... Rumors... rumors say that he got into a fight with his teammate, that Nine-Tails brat...'' That was the only hing Gure needed. In less than a second, she had released the man, and had span around to face her team.

''Izumo, Kotetsu! Bring Assu to Lady Fifth. I don't care if you have to knock this guy out!" She ordered, and, faster than their eyes could see, leapt away on top of nearby roof tops.

_Sasuke... what happened? What did you and Naruto do? And why... why would the two of you fight like that? Please, please don't let it be what I think it is... Please, let all this all be a misunderstanding... Please... tell me all this isn't my fault... as always._

She didn't even realize when she got to the Hokage building, or rather, the bottom of it. Without any hesitation even passing through her head, she jumped up and reached the windows of Tsunade's office. Getting inside, and skidding to a stop next to her desk, she didn't even wait to acknowledge the rest of the people in the room.

''Lady Fifth!" She exclaimed, still with her deep voice. The blonde woman, and her assistant Shizune, were taken aback by the sudden entrance. ''I know it's really strange, but it's me, Gurehai! The Feudal Lord's nephew performed some kind of Transformation Jutsu on us!" To prove her point, she took the stray strand of hair that his her eye and pushed it completely aside, showing her the scar that hadn't been erased, simply because Assu didn't know it existed.

''Gurehai?" The Sannin gaped, her eyes serious. Upon seeing her eye, thought, her disbelief turned to belief, and she began looking her up and down. ''I believe it's you.'' Then, her expression changed. ''You heard...'' She trailed off, and the white haired Chunin placed her hands on her desk, leaning forward.

''What happened to Sasuke?"


	30. The One That Went Rogue

_''Gurehai?" The Sannin gaped, her eyes serious. Upon seeing her eye, thought, her disbelief turned to belief, and she began looking her up and down. ''I believe it's you.'' Then, her expression changed. ''You heard...'' She trailed off, and the white haired Chunin placed her hands on her desk, leaning forward._

_''What happened to Sasuke?"_

Tsunade stared at the Chunin with an almost sad expression. The girl who was always strong, collected and calm, was slowly falling apart before her very eyes. 

''I was told that he and Naruto had a fight on the Hospital's roof, while you were gone. They aimed a Rasengan and a Chidori at each other, and while Kakashi got there in time to stop them, Sasuke left the scene, without a word. All that happened at noon. The next thing I heard from him, was from a guard that was patrolling the outer streets of the Village. He found Sakura, unconscious.'' At the mention of Sakura, the Hokage raised her hand and pointed at something behind Gurehai. When she turned around, she saw her pink haired teammate, sitting on a chair and watching the scene with wide, teary eyes.

''H-he left...'' The girl sniffled, lowering her gaze on her lap. ''It was really late at night... I-tried to stop him... he left!" She sobbed, clutching the fabric of her shirt. With her own wide eyes, the Aoyo turned to her superior once again.

''He left...'' She whispered, her voice hesitant. ''He left the Village... to go where?'' She questioned, the gears in her mind turning frantically.

''He's heading towards the Sound.'' The Sannin replied, as shock flickered in the Kunoichi's eyes. ''I believe he intends to join... Orochimaru.'' At that, Gurehai's fists clenched, and her eyes darkened.

_Orochimaru? _She growled in her head, the image of his pale face and his yellow, snake-like eyes passing through her mind without wavering. _Orochimaru? Why... why would he go to that... to that snake? What got into him? And why in the world would they fight? I know... I know their relationship isn't the most civil... and that there's been a tension between them lately... but why... why would they fight like that? Why would they use techniques... to kill each other?_

''Where is Naruto now?" She asked after a few seconds of silence, keeping her down. They already knew she was upset. They didn't have to see the look in her face as well, though. 

''I sent him after Sasuke, this morning.'' The Hokage said, and, once again, shock ran through Gurehai's every bone. ''With Inuzuka Kiba, Akimichi Choji, Hyuga Neji, and Shikamaru as their leader, they went after him, in order to bring him back to the Village. If they do not succeed, then Sasuke Uchiha... will be declared a Rogue Ninja of Konohagakure.'' 

Tension started to immediately grow in the room, so heavy, the Aoyo could feel it on her shoulders. With a determined expression on her pale face, and the fire of desperation burning in her visible eye, she looked up at the Fifth Hokage, taking her hands of her desk.

''I request permission to go after him as well.'' She stated, resting her fingers in the loops on the bottom of her vest. ''The closer they get to the Sound, the more of Orochimaru's subordinates there'll be. If that's the case, then the five of them will be in trouble.''

It seemed as if nobody dared to take a breath as Tsunade contemplated on her answer. After what felt like a century of an intense stare-down between her and the blonde Sannin, Tsunade sighed.

''Permission denied.'' She said, and the Aoyo nearly gasped. Before she could protest, the woman spoke again. ''I can't let you go after Sasuke, not when he is nearing Orochimaru's lair.''

''Tsunade-sama!" Shizune exclaimed, holding her pig in her arms. 

''But, why?" Gurehai asked, frustration building up inside her. ''We need to convince him to come back, before he is too far gone! And if Naruto and the others find themselves into an ambush, there's nothing stopping him from falling into Orochimaru's clutches! Please, Lady Fifth!"

''The reason I am not allowing you to go is because of your emotional state!" Tsunade raised her voice, making the girl recoil. ''You are too upset and unstable to be allowed on such a mission. Also, don't tell me you don't know that Orochimaru wants you too! I know all about it. From your senseis, both your old one and the new.'' That made Gurehai stop again. After a deep breath, she shook her head. ''I can't risk him taking you.''

''My team... my team is falling apart.'' The white haired Kunoichi said through gritted teeth, trying to calm herself down. ''And it's happening, probably because of our last mission. The one in Tori, in which _I _was the leader. I have to fix up my mess, before it's too late.'' She stared pleadingly into the Hokage's honey colored orbs. ''He's heading towards Orochimaru. _Orochimaru_. I won't say I know him, and especially not more than you, Lady Fifth. But he killed Lord Third!'' She exclaimed, her voice almost breaking... like her mask. ''I can't let that snake corrupt my teammate, and I won't. At least, not without _trying. _So, I will go after him, with or without your permission.'' With her mind set, she took a step back from the desk. ''I don't fear the consequences.''

More silence followed, this one accompanied by the worried glances of Shizune and Sakura, glancing back and forth between the females. Blue challenged brown, stubbornness against authority. _She's going to say 'no', _Gurehai couldn't help but think. _She's going to say 'no', and I will have to make a run for it... the North... the Sound is in the North..._

''Go.'' The Sannin said without blinking, waiting for the girl's reaction. When her eye widened with surprise, and then softened with relief, she chuckled. ''You'll have to hurry.''

''I'll run faster than the wind.'' Gurehai promised, letting her hands fall to her sides as she bowed her head. Behind her, and next to Sakura, the door opened, and giggles were heard. Turning around, the Aoyo's eyes shone in recognition. ''Lord Assu!" She exclaimed, kneeling down next to him, and to his height... as he was wrapped around Kotetsu's leg. ''I beg of you, please, release your Jutsu!"

Inwardly seething for the tone she was using, she kept a straight face. _I should be holding the little brat by the collar right now, 'Lord' or not, _she thought. 

''My friends... they are in danger.'' She finally whispered, glad the boy looked around to see the upset and saddened faces of the Hokage and her guests. ''I need to go help them.'' With a confused look in his dark eyes, Assu finally caved in, raising his small fingers against her forehead. A second later, Gure felt cold wind brush against her skin, as the boyish features melted off of her. When his hand fell back down, she nodded in appreciation, and stood up.

Taking a scroll out of her vest and opening it, she pushed back her shoulders, letting her Chunin identification mark slide off her arms. Her previously sealed cloak waved around her as she effortlessly put it on, and her hair fell down on her shoulders and over her eye, as always.

''I hate making promises I can't keep, and I hate not keeping them even more.'' She commented, lingering on the window sill for a second. ''But I will do everything I can to bring them back, safe.'' She looked over her shoulder at the pink haired Haruno, whose green eyes filled with tears again.

With that, she jumped off.

\----

Naruto had been having a hard time fighting one of Orochimaru's minions, the white haired Kimimaro. Even though he kept on making Shadow Clones the one after the other, the older boy, using his peculiar Kekkei Genkai, demolished them all. Wielding a sword of his very own bones, and with his Taijutsu skills, he not only managed to defend himself, but also gained the upper hand.

''Damn it!" The blonde boy cursed loudly, sending five more against his opponent. With one, swift move, all five turned to smoke, and he emerged from inside it. Behind them, the casket in which Sasuke was held, was smoking purple.

''A little more to go...'' Kimimaro drawled, sword secure in his hand. ''It's about time, and I've been eagerly waiting... Lord Orochimaru's ambition... the first step...'' With these last words, the paper seals keeping the casket closed ripped open, and the container exploded in one, big bang. 

Naruto's red eyes widened, and his breath hitched. Sasuke... Sasuke was back. But what came out of that smoke, was nowhere near what the Uchiha looked like. Its long, purple hair retreated after a few seconds, as well as its claws and tan skin, that turned out to be the Curse Mark. The being, that now looked like Sasuke, stared at his hands.

''Sasuke!" Naruto laughed, his gleaming eyes now their usual, cerulean shade. ''What are you doing with these guys, huh?" He asked, trying to ignore the bubbling feeling inside him. ''Come on, let's go home now!" He called next, lips forming a large grin.

His proposal was met with laughter. Cold, sarcastic laughter. Taken aback, the Uzumaki tried again. ''Sasuke... hey... hey, we're going home!" It didn't feel right. They were supposed to go back home together, weren't they? Just like that time in the Land of Waves, where the two of them climbed those trees together... or when... when in the Chunin Exams, they said they wanted to fight each other... he had said so... and when they fought back to back against those bandits... ''Everyone's worried about you... so...''

Laughter. All he got in return... was laughter. Cruel laughter. ''SASUKE!" He finally exclaimed, no longer able to ignore the feeling that something wasn't right. ''Let's get back, ttebayo! You can hear my voice can't you?" Sakura's trembling voice came to his mind, and he remembered his promise. ''And Gure-chan... Gure-chan didn't get to see you out of the Hospital! She has to see you're alright!"

The black haired ninja looked at the ground, and stepped on the leaf that landed next to his feet. With that, he shook his head, and leapt away.

''WAIT, SASUKE-..'' His eyes widened hopelessly when he made for his friend, after he realized that Kimimaro was behind him and about to attack him once again. He didn't have enough time to even turn around, as the Sound ninja raised his weapon above his head. 

''It's futile.'' He stated, swinging down. ''Die!" But the pain the Genin expected to feel when the sword would rip his skin apart, never came. Instead, he heard the bone clash against something equally as hard, and then the unmistakable thump of someone hitting the ground. 

''Sasuke!" A commanding, imposing voice echoed throughout the grassy field, making the Uchiha stop dead in his tracks near the tree line. Without turning his head around, he could feel the presence of who it was... as the voice rang in his ears. ''Where do you think you're going, you idiot?"

Gurehai stood in front of Naruto protectively, the Rock Spear with which she blocked the Kekkei Genkai user's hit in hand. The wind blew her shoulder length hair around, but hid her eye from view successfully. She twirled the Spear around and then buried it in the ground next to her. "Konoha is the other way around."

''...I have to say... I didn't expect you to come here, Gure.'' The Uchiha spoke for the first time after his emergence from his sealed carriage, his voice colder than usual. ''...But that... it doesn't really change anything. I will not be returning to Konoha with you. My path... my path is a different one.''

''Your path?" The Aoyo echoed, not wanting to believe in her own ears. ''Your path with whom? Orochimaru? The snake that almost killed us all, and nearly destroyed Konoha, our Village? Our home?'' She raised her voice, emphasizing her last words. ''We thought you died when he bit you, when he took a _gamble _on whether you'd survive or not!"

''He... he can help me get stronger. He is the only one who can give the power I need... the power I need in order to kill _him_.'' The Uchiha argued, clenching his fists. ''There is no other way. Konoha isn't my home anymore. It hasn't been... for a long while.''

''Listen to yourself!" She almost laughed, understanding his reference to the slaughter of his clan. ''Konoha is not your home? And you can't get stronger by staying there? Is Team 7 not your family? Aren't we supposed to grow stronger together? You know... you _knew_ it from the very first day we became a team, that I was with you in your goal to kill your brother. I still am. I wish to kill the man who murdered my father as well, but you don't see me succumbing to Orochimaru's will like he wants me to do, do you?" She asked, not caring that she had revealed her hidden goal.

''You never found out... but he tried to bite me too. He promised me great things, he said he'd give me back my father... But only the gods can bring the dead back to life, Sasuke, and he's not one. And when I refused, do you know what he did then?'' She questioned, taking a step forward. ''He killed Lord Third, the man who became a second father to me! He's evil, and he won't stop being, whatever you do. If you join him, he'll simply corrupt you!'' 

''Gure... nothing you say now will change my mind.'' Sasuke replied emotionlessly. Truth to be told, he didn't know about the Sannin wanting to recruit his white haired teammate as well. But that didn't matter to him, at all. He didn't care if she was left behind, he didn't care if he joined him in his way to the Sound... he didn't. ''I think you're smart enough to understand that.''

The girl masked her anger, frustration and desperation, instead taking a deep breath, closing her eyes. 

''I get it. I really, honestly get it, Sasuke. Your family died, your family was killed. You want revenge, and I know that it can't compare with what you've been through, but I've lost family too. I _still_ am loosing. And I would have no problem with you choosing a different path, a different place to grow stronger to avenge those deaths. But... he is Orochimaru. It's probably of no significance to you... But he killed Hiruzen Sarutobi, our Hokage, the man that helped me through the pain in the years of my childhood!''

''I was in pain... I was a mess. But he was there! He stayed by my side, even though he wasn't my real family, and helped me get _through _it. And Orochimaru murdered him, just like that!" She called out to him, in one last attempt to hold her team together. ''So how... tell me how would you feel if after everything you've been through, after everything you've felt, I mercilessly killed the _one _person that was there, and made things a little better? The _one _person, that didn't look at you as if you were a pest?"

She hated the silence that followed. She hated how the wind was the only thing that moved around them, the only thing that made a sound. Grateful in the back of her mind, because Kimimaro hadn't attacked and disturbed their exchange, she exhaled shakily. Then, Sasuke raised his head, and stared at the forest in front of him.

''I am sorry, Gure...'' He said, the breeze messing with his spiky hair. She didn't really know what he was apologizing for, since he had already made a decision. She didn't even know what he wanted to say. Until...  
''...But... I don't really think you'd ever commit suicide.'' 

''What?" She could only exclaim breathlessly, as he made his way inside the woods.

She had no time to do anything more, as Kimimaro came at her with his sword raised from behind.


	32. The One Left Behind

_''So how... tell me how would you feel if after everything you've been through, after everything you've felt, I mercilessly killed the one person that was there, and made things a little better? The one person, that didn't look at you as if you were a pest?"_

_''I am sorry, Gure...But... I don't really think you'd ever commit suicide.'' _

_''What?" She could only exclaim breathlessly, as he made his way inside the woods. She had no time to do anything more, as Kimimaro came at her with his sword raised from behind._

All her shock disappeared for a moment, as she span around and collided her foot with the bone, instantly regretting it. It was hard, and made her entire leg tremble. Masking her pain, she pressed against the sword and back flipped, grabbing her Rock Spear in the process. When her feet touched the ground, she raised it and deflected another of Kimimaro's hits.

''Naruto, go after him!" She shouted, pushing against the boy. ''I'll take care of this one as soon as I can, and follow you. Go now, before he passes the border!" With that, she pt all her strength in her arms, and threw him backwards.

She only saw his orange figure ran past her vaguely, before her attention focused on the Sound ninja, who stared down at her in confusion.

''You seem very confident in your abilities to hold me back, let alone defeat me.'' He commented, their weapons once again colliding within the blink of an eye. ''Are you sure you aren't just recklessly throwing your life away?You don't look more of a challenge than that blonde boy earlier." He went on, as they clashed again.

''I may not be.'' She said, backing away after a quick thrust of her Spear, with her back turned to him. The boy narrowed his eyes. ''But, you must have not heard my words earlier. Your Lord Orochimaru, intended to give me the Curse Mark, and make me join him. So, perhaps, I should give you my name...'' She said, letting the wind mess with her cloak, and reveal the azure crest on her back.

''Aoyo...'' Kimimaro whispered, as the girl turned around, staring at him with her sharp, ice blue eye.

''...Gurehai. Tell me, will your master be mad at you if you hurt me? Or has he made peace with the fact that I will never fall under his control, and no longer has use of me? If the second statement is true, then I will enjoy crushing you at your full power, before going after Sasuke and bringing him back to our Village.''

''Those are big words coming from someone who is about to loose.'' The Kaguya said, bending his body forward. Then, letting his weapon retreat inside his body, he snapped his eyes up and stared at her dead in the eyes. ''Larch Dance.'' He exclaimed, and several needle-like bones [grew](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/naruto/images/a/ab/Shikotsumyaku.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/320?cb=20150125163439) out of his upper body, forming an armor around him.

Gurehai stood her ground and observed closely the new transformation, hiding her surprise. _There are bones growing out of his body, _she thought, tightening her grip around her own weapon. _Is this... a Kekkei Genkai? And those markings spreading from his chest... they look like a Curse Mark. This might take a little more time and effort than I originally thought. _Turning her head towards the spot were both her teammates had disappeared, she took a deep breath. _Do your best, Naruto._

Then, as quickly as she could, she rushed at Kimimaro and raised her foot, aiming for a kick at his side. The bones around that area grew longer and looked as if they were trying to either pierce or trap her foot inside them, so she tossed the Rock Spear from one hand to the other behind her back, and thrusted it towards his abdomen.

Noticing that, Kimimaro stopped the bones in his side and focused on the ones in his belly, using them to cage the Spear inside them. Gurehai instantly jumped away and landed many feet behind, seeing her weapon break into pieces. She raised her hand to touch her face, when she felt something trickle down her cheek. Bringing it in front of her eyes, and recognizing the substance as blood, she grunted. _I can't engage him with Taijutsu without risking getting pierced by those bones. That leaves Ninjutsu, and... Genjutsu. But I don't think I'll be able to stall him long enough to get that close to him._

_''_Your defense looks absolute.'' She praised him, wiping the blood away. ''But it probably isn't. So I guess I'll do my best and protect myself as well.'' She grabbed her cloak and took it off, effortlessly sealing it in the scroll inside her pouch. With that, she dug two fingers in each of her secondary pouches attached on her legs, and almost hugging her arms in front of her chest, she spread it from her biceps to her wrists, and then across her collarbone, right were her top ended. Last came her legs, which she applied dirt to by kneeling down.

When she stood back up, the soil had spread and hardened around her limbs and chest, creating the scale-like pattern that always protected her. ''Let's dance.''

Punch after punch, kick after kick, every time her forearm and knee came in contact with his bones, she came closer and closer to breaking the code, finding his weakness. She started memorizing his movements, his patterns, and, eventually, the right moment came.

While in the air, spinning around to kick his head, and facing away from him, she brought her hands together in a seal. Unbeknownst to him, an Earth Clone rose from the ground behind him, and attacked when Kimimaro swung his arm to push Gurehai away. The Rock Fist sent him stumbling forward, and the girl threw herself at him, intending to punch him again. The white haired boy frowned and raised his hand, piercing her stomach with one of his elongated bones. The Clone slid forward and then exploded in a wave of dust and dirt, momentarily blinding him. But that was all the Aoyo needed.

''Doton: Stone Spike Prison!" The real Gurehai exclaimed, slamming her hands on the grass. Now having him trapped between the thick, large Spikes, and not giving him room to move his head, she took a second to inhale and then exhale, before approaching him with her hand forming a seal. _I have him now, _she thought, but immediately tensed when she got near him.

The overwhelming feeling of large chakra quantities being released all at once had her take a step back, and then jump away in a series of flips, as Kimimaro broke the stone apart. The force made her feet skid along the grass, and bring her hands in front of her face protectively. _He broke... He broke the Stone Spike Prison? That was... an A-Rank technique!_

When her eyes finally fell upon her opponent, they widened. The vile chakra signature that had began standing out, now seemed to perfectly fit the image of the boy, who came out of the ruins when the dust settled.

He had taken on a monstrous appearance. His skin, previously pale and littered with the black lines of his Curse Mark, was now dark grey, and animal-like. Six large bones had grown out of his back, and a bone-spiked tail swished in the air behind him. His face seemed to hold a permanent frown, the way two black markings curved around his eyes, which were yellow, with the sclerae completely black.

A growl escaped his throat as he raised his head, and his eyes meeting hers. He came at her, unlike their previous brawl, where only she was the one pursuing an attack. _He's planning to slam into me with those bones. _She figured, slightly panicking, and infusing more chakra on her Stone Bracers. The action proved to be just in time for the hit, that made her entire left side throb.

She found herself flying in the air, and falling down with terrifying speed. Getting over the hit she took, Gurehai managed to land on her feet, holding her left shoulder. The scale-like stone pattern on her left arm had cracked and partially fallen off, revealing the scratched that were soon to bleed underneath. _He destroyed it... what is that form? And his bones... they're even harder than before. Am I... am I going to loose?_

''You are starting to doubt yourself, your abilities and techniques.'' Kimimaro commented, bending forward, just like before, with his Larch Dance. ''Have you began to regret your earlier words?" He asked, moving his right hand behind his head, close to the bones protruding from his back. Before doing anything else, he looked at her, as if waiting for a response. 

''I doubt myself all the time.'' She admitted, ignoring her aching limb. ''But you're wrong in one thing; My techniques. A Jutsu is only as powerful as the person using it. Everyone knows that.'' _Lord Third taught me everything I know about Doton. And I am going to use that knowledge to defeat you._

''That's indeed correct.'' He said, and suddenly, a popping sound echoed around them. Looking closer, she noticed something was emerging from his body, slowly, but clearly made of bone. To her horror, she realized what it was. ''Let's see how powerful this one is.'' With one swift move, he brought he hand forward, fully extending his new weapon. ''Clematis Dance: Vine!"

_He pulled out his own spinal cord! _The Aoyo grimaced, and formed hand seals as fast as lightning. Finally extending her right hand, and letting her left one almost limp, she tightened her fingers around the new, stronger Rock Spear that had rose next to her. Breaking it off the ground, she braced herself for his next attack.

He rushed at her, his sword raised. When he brought it down to collide with her skull, she quickly raised her Rock Spear above her head with both hands, stopping it from hurting her. Relief washed over her, but only for a mere second. Then, her left arm caved under the pressure, and the Spear broke in half.

She sidestepped just in time, the Vine crashing on the grass next to her right foot, but not without grazing her shoulder as well. She pushed him back with a last-moment kick effectively, and shuddered. The armor in her arm got destroyed too, and it took everything in her not to fall down onto one knee. The bone sword was coming at her again before she could even blink. _He's aiming for my chest, _she concluded, and, with the energy she had left, focused the little chakra she could in time in front of her rib-cage and lungs.

And then, blood poured out of her mouth, spilling on Vine, which had penetrated her abdomen.

Her eyes bulged out, and her hand instinctively wrapped around the spiky spinal cord. Kimimaro looked down at her from many feet away, never loosening his hold. ''I had already found your weakness by the time we battled each other in close, hand-to-hand combat.'' He revealed, as more blood came out of her mouth. ''Despite the many hits you took, which had no effect at all, due to your armor, you always, subconsciously, covered your lower stomach. My first guess, which was that you protected that area because that's were your armor ended... was correct.''

She could barely hear him talk anymore. She didn't care. She could only focus on her hammering heart, and the throbbing in her ears. She wouldn't be able to talk, even if she wanted to. The blood had pooled in her mouth, and seeped out slowly, dripping down her chin, chest and lastly, hands. All over her body, the Stone Bracers dissipated to nothing.

_Move... I have... I have to move... the wound is deep... I can feel the end of his Vine coming out of my back... it hurts... but it didn't hit my own spinal cord... it isn't fatal... I can move... I have to move, before he delivers his last hit._

Her hand slowly gripped the sword tighter, and was soon joined by her other one, resting a little closer to her body. ''You never stood a chance, Aoyo.'' He said, outstretching his left hand. ''Not when I battled you in this form, the second stage. You were a fool not to accept the Curse Mark, just like Lord Orochimaru said. You could have been... you could have been like me.''

Gurehai looked up from her lap, meeting his yellow eyes. Then, she amassed Lightning chakra from all over her body. ''I would... never... willingly bec-come... a monster like that...'' She coughed, feeling the blood in her mouth trickled down her neck. With a burst of her last energy, she held the sword with both hands. ''Raiton... Storm Current.''

Lightning shot out from her hands and traveled towards Kimimaro, dancing around the bone in rapid speed. The boy, with his yellow eyes wide, abruptly pulled the Clematis Dance out of her. He made the whip snap, and the lightning disappeared in the air, leaving behind soft, chirping sounds. With another flick of his wrist, it wrapped around her, forcing her injured arms to her sides. Gasping, she fell down on her knees.

_Damn it... I didn't know it could be used like that... as a whip... _Her mind was swarming with thoughts, as her opponent outstretched his left hand. _It wasn't supposed to go like this... I was supposed to get past him, and join Naruto... ask Sasuke... ask him what in the world he meant by that, earlier... and then, we'd bring him back, and make him realize how stupid what he intended to do was... But now..._

_Lord Third... I'm going to fail... Mother, I'm sorry... Naruto, what can I say to you? Father... I wasn't supposed to come to you so soon, with only three of them... I was supposed o be better than this... _Blinking, she inhaled through her nose.

''_Lord Hashirama and his brother, Lord Tobirama, both died in battle, didn't they?" A young Gurehai asked her teacher, as they sat upon a boulder, resting after their training session. _

_''Yes, indeed, they both died during the First Shinobi World War.'' Hiruzen replied, his eyebrows furrowing. ''Why the sudden interest, Gurehai?" He took his pipe out of his clothes, and started smoking, as always._

_''It's something father once told me, while we were talking about the Hokage.'' She said, letting her body fall back, lying against the rock with her hands behind her head. ''He said the Hokage must be in the constant lookout for war, and be ready to give his life. The two first Hokage did so, and the Fourth did, too. I asked father about it. He said he sacrificed himself in order for Konoha to be safe.''_

''_He did that, yes.'' The Hokage's brown eyes searched the blue skies, settling upon a flock of birds. _

_''If all of the Hokage gave their life on the battlefield, then that means that one day, you will too?" The white haired girl asked then, making the man beside her choke and cough dramatically._

_''Should I be concerned that you want me out of the picture, Gurehai?" The old man narrowed his eyes, and she laughed. Laughed, like she only did with him. ''I thought you said you didn't want to take my place...'' He trailed off suggestively, and she sighed._

_''No, I was just wondering.'' She breathed after a while, her blue orbs following the birds, until they became small, barely visible black dots in the horizon. ''I just don't want you to leave, too.'' The ten-year-old closed her eyes, and Hiruzen blew out a puff of smoke, that swirled around them._

''Clematis Dance:" Kimimaro's voice made her vision clear, and she helplessly watched as his hand morphed into something else. ''Flower!" Several bones took shape around his left limb, creating a huge spear-like weapon. With a growl, he ran at her, hand stretching forward.

She refused to close her eyes, as he came closer and closer. The sky was blue, just like that day. She saw no birds, but she didn't mind. Her eyes remained open. And that's how, in the corner of them, she saw specks of sand dancing around her, caressing her skin.

''Ultimate Defense: Shukaku's Shield!''


	33. Bones And Sand

_She refused to close her eyes, as he came closer and closer. The sky was blue, just like that day. She saw no birds, but she didn't mind. Her eyes remained open. And that's how, in the corner of them, she saw specks of sand dancing around her, caressing her skin._

_"Ultimate Defense: Shukaku's Shield!"_

A wall of sand, thrice her size, formed mere feet in front of her body, making her gape. Blinking a few times, as if to make sure that it was real, that someone was helping her, that it wouldn't end like that. And when her thoughts cleared, she realized who the only person that sand could belong to was.

''Gaara... of the Sand?" She questioned, turning her head to the right. 

''Aoyo Gurehai.'' The boy called back, arms crossed. She heard cracking noises coming from the other side of the Shield, which had both hands and a head. Then, she felt the sharp bones around her loosen up, and slowly dig out of her skin, being replaced by sand. ''By your performance in the Exams, I thought you'd be better than this.'' He commented, as she breathed a sigh of relief.

''That Waterfall boy didn't have a Kekkei Genkai.'' She said, completely breaking free of her restrains, and standing up as much as she could beside him. _I remember people talking about what happened to him the day of the Finals, _she thought, staring at his light green eyes. _They talked about a battle between two monsters... but I didn't care about what I heard, for that and many days that came. If he's here, that means Konohagakure and Sunagakure have made peace... and Lady Fifth asked for their assistance._

_And if we made peace... that means what the twins said, about the Sand being deceived by Orochimaru, was true, _Gurehai concluded, the image of Gureichi and Gureni coming back. Where could _they _be now?

''By your performance in the Exams, I have to say I am glad I have you as an ally.'' The Aoyo said, before a wave of pain shot through her body, and her knees almost buckled. The hole in her abdomen was bleeding, staining her black attire, while blood trickled down her chin from the corner of her mouth. ''I'm afraid I won't be of much assistance in my state.'' 

That's when the boy fully turned to look at her, and saw her injury. With his brow furrowing, he turned towards the Shield he had created, and the enemy hiden behind it.

''It's hard.'' Kimimaro growled, when his second part of the Clematis Dance, his Flower, completely fell apart.

''I collected the minerals with the highest tensile strength from the ground, added pressure with my chakra and then mixed them with the sand.'' The Kazekage's son replied. ''Your Kekkei Genkai is rare. You must be the last of your clan. If that's the case... then that clan will become extinct, today.''

''You are right...'' The white haired boy admitted, much to Gurehai's surprise. ''That could happen. Due to my illness, my body won't hold out for much longer.'' _Illness? What's he talking about? _''However, it won't be destroyed... because I am not alone.''

''Not alone?" Both Gaara and his ally questioned.

''Exactly. As an existence that's part of Lord Orochimaru's ambition... I will remain in his heart... forever.'' _That snake has corrupted more people... kids, like myself, Naruto... and Sasuke, who wants to willingly join his side... Sasuke... can't you see what he's doing?_

''Orochimaru's brainwashing, huh?" The redhead mumbled, his hands forming a seal. _The finishing blow. ''_How empty you are.'' And with that, Kimimaro started sinking into the ground, feet stuck in the quicksand Gaara had created. ''You will sink 200 meters underground and be held there. With the pressure of the sand glued to your body, you won't be able to lift a finger.''

The Shield of Shukaku dissolved and seeped in the grass, and Gurehai watched as the quicksand turned into a whirlpool, completely covering the Sound ninja, before finally stopping. The girl inhaled shakily and put pressure on her wound, glancing at Gaara sideways. 

''You did it.'' She whispered, allowing herself to close her eyes for a moment. ''It's...over.'' _I almost died fighting that brainwashed monster, _she sighed in her head, staring at the white haired boy's tomb in front of her. _And Gaara... Gaara was done in minutes. No, no, don't think about that. Kimimaro has been defeated. Now I can go to-_

''Bracken... Dance.'' The voice surprised both her and the Sand ninja, and she took a step back, the pain in her gut bringing her down to one knee. Suddenly, where she once stood, rose a sharp, six-foot bone, followed by multiple cracking noises. The same bones erupted all over the ground around them, and she saw Gaara look around frantically.

''Gaara!" She shouted, and, just in time, the boy moved aside, avoiding the deadly blade about to pierce through him. _He's still alive... how is he still alive? _She tried to stand up but stumbled when the bleeding hole in her body started stinging in protest, and she felt the soil beneath her feet stir. 

Gasping, she found herself hovering in the air, when thousands of sword-like bones split the ground apart at the same time. Looking down, she saw the sand had formed a platform, and she and her savior were sitting on top of it. ''He was very persistent.'' The boy told her, eyes searching the ground below. ''But he won't bother us any more. It's over.''

''Yes...'' Gurehai agreed, temporarily forgetting the state she was in.

''Now, let's get off. I have to get you back to Konoha as soon as possible. Your wound looks back, and someone needs to heal you.'' He commanded rather than stated, and she was about to protest, say she had to follow Naruto and Sasuke, but then, her eyes widened.

''It's not brainwashing!" Kimimaro's voice growled from behind them, and the Aoyo turned around, only to freeze at the sight of the Sound ninja, who was holding his Clematis Dance, Flower, above Gaara's head. ''He is... Lord Orochimaru is the only one who understand me!" He exclaimed, raising his weapon. ''How could you... HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY KNOW?" 

_Damn it! _Gurehai screamed in her mind, watching as the gigantic bone slowly came down, towards the wide-eyed Gaara. _If he hurts Gaara right now, his concentration... we will fall to our deaths! I have to... I have to... _Faster than she thought was possible, and while the Flower started coming down at the redhead's skull, she brought her hands forward in a seal. Filling her lungs with air by inhaling sharply through her nose, she took the chance when Kimimaro hesitated, an inch away from Gaara's eye.

_Suiton: Water Bullet! _She recited in her mind, as water shot out from her mouth, hitting the boy... directly at the center of his forehead.

Blood oozed from the Kaguya's mouth, and his hand stayed frozen in the air, as the wind messed with his hair. Gurehai was ready for the stinging pain in her right eye... but it never came. Instead, she almost doubled over from the one coming from her abdomen.

''He's dead.'' Gaara mumbled, slowly backing away fro the point of the lethal weapon. ''You saved me.'' He said, and looked at her. ''Thank you.''

''No.'' The Kunoichi disagreed, as the boy lowered them to the grass, away from the garden of bones Kimimaro had created. ''He mentioned a sickness, that wore down his body... he was already dead when I shot him.'' She admitted, eyebrows furrowing. ''And besides... you saved my life more than once today.''

''Let's go back now.'' Gaara nodded, and her head snapped up. ''I have to get you back to Konoha, and-''

''No!" She interrupted, struggling to get up. _I can't go back now... I need to... I need to get to them. _Her words were cut off by a sudden overwhelming feeling, that made her skin tingle. _What kind of chakra is this? _She shuddered, head turning to stare at the horizon above the forest. _It's sinister, and angry... I'm not a sensor... and I can still feel it like that... _Naruto's face appeared before her, his red eyes glowing. ''I have to get to Naruto and Sasuke!"

''Don't be reckless!" Gaara warned her, keeping her down by her shoulders. ''You can't go anywhere in your condition! You are loosing too much blood!"

''Please... I have to reach them... I have to reach him...'' She said, struggling against him, her hand on his own shoulder. She began growing lightheaded. _Damn blood loss..._ _I can't leave Sasuke... I have to get to him, I have to convince him to come back, before it's too late! I have to go... I have to keep my Team together... _''No...'' 

With one last squeeze of his shoulder, her eyes rolled in the back of her head, and her body fell limp against his.

\----

She saw a dream. 

It must have been one.

Why else would her mother, who she left unconscious so many days ago, be awake, and hugging... hugging... Gaara? That must've been him. With that blood red hair, and the unmistakable gourd in his back, it could be no one else. Why? And then behind them, she had seen two more figures. They had black hair, and stood at the same height, above the woman and the boy... were they...

Had the twins come back? But, it was a dream. Gureichi and Gureni, her cousins, had no reason to be there, even if it was just her subconscious. They somehow knew Orochimaru had killed the Kazekage, and still let him go undercover and get close to Lord Third. If they had said something, then...

The second she woke up, she could tell she was at the Hospital. The white ceiling was proof of that, as well as the grey walls. But that, didn't explain the strange pressure in her hand. She craned her neck and took a look, and her breath hitched at the sight.

A mop of black hair was splayed on her side, a hand emerging from underneath it, fingers wrapped around her own, squeezing lightly. The person was sitting in a chair, with their body in an awkward angle, as they laid their head on her bed. Under the waterfall of ebony locks, an all too familiar blue cloak pooled around the woman's feet. Gurehai tightened her grip, resulting to her visitor to stir from her sleep.

''Mother?" She whispered, as the woman raised her head, and opened her eyes. Blue met blue, and a gentle smile tugged at Gureki's lips, as her eyes watered. 

She didn't respond, instead shifting to immediately wrap her arms around her daughter's neck. Gurehai closed her eyes and didn't move. She had missed her scent. She had missed her face. She had missed her mom.

''You are alright... When did you wake up?" The Chunin asked, when the healer pulled away. ''I... I didn't even know what happened to you... I got back from my mission, and they said you were still asleep, that you were unconscious... and then I had to leave, right when I got back...'' _Which reminds me... Sasuke... what happened with Sasuke? _

_''_I woke up the night you were gone.'' Gureki explained, running her thumb across the back of Gurehai's hand. _The night I was gone, escorting Assu? _''I was all healed up, the following day. I was worried... Honey, I was so worried when they brought you back like that...'' She sniffled, glancing at the teen's abdomen. _She looks healthy... how long have I been out? _''But Lady Tsunade said she could heal you, and that you were going to be okay...''

''Gaara... he brought be here, didn't he?" She asked, in order to confirm her suspicion. _If the dream was just something I happened to see while momentarily opening my eyes... then they are really here. _''The redhead, from the Sand?"

''Yes, yes.'' Gureki nodded. ''You were bleeding heavily when the two of you arrived, in that cloud of sand. I helped you the best I could, while the medics called for the Hokage. Oh... I couldn't find enough words to thank him. He and his siblings left two days ago. They helped Shikamaru, and brought back the injured Genin that had gone to that mission.'' _Kiba, Choji, Neji, Shikamaru... and Naruto, they all went after him... I knew Orochimaru would sent his minions after them._

''Is everyone okay?" She asked, secretly hoping she would also mention Sasuke's return.

''Some of them were in critical condition... but they are all alive, and well.'' She informed her, and, seeing as she was about to say something else, Gurehai didn't ask further questions. ''Everyone was worried about you, too. Your teammates, your sensei... Jiraiya also came by, but... he had to leave.'' She added the last part with an almost bitter tone in her voice, but the young Aoyo dismissed it. ''You also have some visitors... they said you'd met them alread-...''

The door burst open that exact second, revealing a grinning Naruto... and a head sticking out from behind, with grey hair pointing at every direction. ''Gure-chan!" The Uzumaki exclaimed, running at her and her mother's side. She noticed he had a bandage wrapped around his forehead. Behind them, she failed to see a flash of pink hair pass by. ''You had me worried there for a while, ttebayo!" He complained, placing his hands on his hips. ''But Gaara said you and him defeated that annoying bone-user! Hey!"

''Yes, we're glad you are okay, Gurehai.'' Kakashi slapped his male student at the back of the head, giving her the close-eyed smile she had grown accustomed to. ''Now that you're all patched up, we can continue our training, huh?''

''Yes...'' She agreed, slowly getting anxious. _Where is Sasuke? Mother... mother said my teammates were worried. _But, when she had just finished her thought, more people came through the door of her room, smiling... and groaning.

''You were the one who said you wanted to come and visit, baka!" Izumo pointed his finger at his companion accusingly. ''Stop sulking, and greet Gurehai-taichou properly!''

''You woke me up by splashing water on my face, Izumo! I said we'd visit her in the afternoon, when guard duty was over!'' Kotetsu spat back, eyebrow twitching. 

''It's afternoon now-... Hello, everyone!" The brunette waved awkwardly, when he noticed they were being watched. ''Gurehai-taichou, why did you leave us like that? We almost lost it when that Sand kid came flying through the Gates of the Village, with you bleeding on his side!"

''Izumo, Kotetsu... Thanks for the concern.'' The Aoyo answered, having sat up, with her back against her pillows. ''But, that reminds me... How long was I out? It must have been... days?"

''Four days.'' Gureki replied, and the others around her nodded in agreement. ''It's September the sixth, today.'' Her visitors let her think to herself for a bit, as the white haired girl's gaze fell on her lap. _Another four days, wasted... Time is passing by so quickly, ever since the attack of Konoha, and... all that's been happening, is me losing things and people. What am I doing... what am I doing?_

''Naruto.'' She finally spoke up, and met her teammate's cerulean eyes. The blond boy looked at her, and saw the sadness in her tired, icy orbs. ''Sasuke... Sasuke didn't come back, did he?" Silence fell over the room instantly, and the Genin lowered his head in shame.

''No, Gure-chan.'' He admitted, feeling guilty. ''He didn't.''

''I see.'' Was the only thing she said, and, feeling the tension in the room, the two male Chunin that had come for a visit, said 'get well' to their Captain, and made their way outside. _If after all I've said, and after everything we've all been through as a Team, you decide that... then, I'm sorry Sasuke, whatever your feelings are..._

_I encouraged you to find your own way, to achieve your goals and fulfill your dream... to get your revenge, even if others would consider it wrong. You said I stood by your side, even though we were as good as strangers before graduation, and, as members of the same Team, I acted the way I did because I would never let my comrades down. No matter what the case was. But you chose him, that snake, after I let my feelings out to another person... for the first time in my entire life. So, I am sorry, Sasuke..._

_But I will no longer fight... or care for you. _


	34. Reunion-The Chunin Four

The very next day, Gurehai was up and ready for work. The only reminder of her near-death experience, was the steadily fading scar on her abdomen. But, she didn't mind the scars. After all, she had more.

She and Naruto had talked one more time after her exit from the Hospital, and it ended in the girl announcing her decision to him. The decision, that Sasuke meant as much as nothing to her, after all that happened.

_''I get that he was your best friend. I get that Sakura... loves him.'' _She had tried to say the second part without sounding sarcastic and mean, and she barely managed it. _''He used to be a valuable comrade, a friend, a teammate, to me too. But he chose Orochimaru. We tried to reason with him, and he, on his own free will, decided to leave both Konoha and us, even though there were alternatives for him to get his revenge. He almost killed you. Yes, don't think I wouldn't find out. Sorry... I am really sorry, Naruto... But I won't waste any more of my time and emotions... not for him.''_

Her words had been followed by a deafening silence. On the inside, she felt awful for saying such things to him, for telling him she gave up. But then again, she didn't give up. Sasuke had given up first, and left her with no choice. The boy's sad eyes, the same sad, blue eyes, lit up a few seconds later, followed by his usual grin of a mad man.

_''It's okay, Gure-chan. I'll bring him back, and make that teme apologize to you. I'll kick his butt, and drag him back here, to realize his mistakes.''_

The Aoyo and Uzumaki had parted then, with a strained smile and a thumbs up respectively. He had left for his usual training session, and she had stepped away from her house, heading towards the center of Konoha, in order to later reach the Hokage building.

Amongst the chattering women and men reconstructing some buildings, she stopped by Ichiraku Ramen, and ordered a bowl of ramen. She had been summoned in front of Tsunade, and since it was most likely a mission, she didn't want to waste time.

When the steaming hot miso pork arrived, she grabbed a pair of chopsticks and opened them, before frowning and setting them down next to her bowl. The curtains behind her parted, and two people stepped in. With a kind voice, one of them greeted the owner, and then they both sat down on either side of her, traveling cloaks hanging from the stools they occupied. Gurehai closed her eyes and took a breath, intending to calm herself down. 

''It's good to see you're doing well, Gurehai. We stopped by the Hospital while you were still asleep and talked with Gureki, but we missed your awakening.'' Gureichi smiled from her right, and the Kunoichi had a hard time trying to trace hints of it being fake, before giving up.

''And we also attracted some strange looks from your comrades... A couple of girls stared at us very intensely...'' Gureni added from her left, running a hand through his jet black locks with a playful look in his face. ''It must be the Aoyo genes, since I've always been a looker.''

Gurehai buried the visible part of her face in her palm, and mumbled some incoherent curses. When she looked up, she turned towards the more mature twin, and he eye narrowed. ''Why are you here?"

''Well, we wanted to talk to you, and since we found here, we figured we'd order somthing to eat as well.'' Ni pipped up from behind her, as Teuchi and his daughter set two bowls down in front of them. _They didn't even order anything... at least verbally. That must mean they're usual customers here... how long have they been around?_

''I meant why are you here, in Konohagakure.'' She added, not commenting on the earlier statement. ''I thought that since you had come 'for the Sand', and not 'with it', you lived there, and decided to come and help. Shouldn't you be back in the Land of Wind, deciding on the new Kazekage with the other residents or something?" She grumpily took a bite of her food, gulping down some ramen.

''That's were you're wrong. Everyone knew who the next Kazekage would be, whether they wanted it or not, when the news of Lord Rasa's death first spread.'' That piqued her interest, and she glanced sideways at the boy who was no serious. ''His son, Gaara, is to take the position, upon his own wishes, as well.'' With that, he picked up his chop sticks.

_Gaara will? _Gurehai pondered, surprised. _I would have never imagined... and I never knew his father was the Kazekage... he'll become...the Fifth Kazekage... huh?_

''That still doesn't explain why you've come, or rather, why you've stayed.'' She commented. ''Perhaps you heard that mother was ill; In that case, it would make sense for you to visit. Other than that, I don't see why you would want to speak with me.''

The twins glanced at each other from behind her back, and Ichi sighed. ''We _came _because we heard of Gureki's condition. We _stayed_ because you got hurt. We sent the order for the Sand siblings to depart, and then we took action, too. Who do you think has been handling the alliances and councils between the Sand and Leaf?''

''You... the two of you, are the ambassadors?" She asked, an uneasy feeling in her gut telling her to drop the subject as soon as possible. But she couldn't stop there. ''That day, you told me you knew about Orochimaru's deception. If that was the case, then why didn't you say something? Warned someone? Lord Third is dead, now.'' She couldn't help the bitter tone at the end of her sentence.

''Like we also said that day, we couldn't rely on anyone but ourselves. Everybody believed the Sannin to be the Kazekage, and if he found out, we'd be killed. Think of it the other way around, before you hold a grudge against us...'' Ni proposed from the left, having already finished his meal. ''Would you risk your and Gureki's lives, in order to protect another Land's Kage?"

She fell silent. They were right. They only had each other, and she basically had demanded why they didn't try to save someone they didn't even know. _I would never allow her to die, _she thought, as her mother's smiling face from that very morning came to her mind. _And they wouldn't allow each other to die._

''You got promoted to Chunin. That's good. Congratulations.'' They said the last part in sync, and she looked down at her vest. ''But doesn't it hide your cloak?" She shrugged almost unnoticeably.

''I don't wear it to be seen, or to show the Blue Sun around.'' She stated, caressing the part of her cloak that escaped the zipped up vest and reached her knees. ''I wear it.. for the material.'' The dark grey reminded her of the time Hiruzen had worn his battle garbs to fight her. She had been ecstatic. ''It was Lord Third's battle attire. Jiraiya, my godfather, gave it to me.'' _Why am I saying all these things to them? Is it because... they're... family? _''I am afraid I'll... I'll have to go now.'' She announced, and set some coins on the counter in front of her. ''I have a meeting with Lady Fifth, and I'd hate to be late.''

The twins turned around to stare at her as she pushed aside the curtains to leave, and she paused before exiting. ''I apologize for earlier.'' She said, not looking back at them. ''You can come by our house whenever you want. Mother won't mind, I'm sure. If I'n not on a mission, I'd like to continue our conversation.'' 

''We will.'' They said in unison, smiling, ans sharing a knowing look. They got up soon after she left, and payed for their ramen. They walked outside just as she disappeared behind a building, catching sight of her swishing cloak. 

''Let's go see our sister.'' Gureichi told his identical twin, and they both headed the other way.

\----

''Like you already know, our Village is going through some difficult times. We are doing everything we can to repair anything destroyed, and defend Konoha as best as we can, despite our recently reduced numbers. Missions of every Rank are very important to be carried out, as to not alarm the other Lands of out weak state.'' Tsunade paced back and forth in her office, as Gurehai stood a few feet away, hands in the loops of her vest.

''That's why, days ago, around the time of your injury, I had an idea. I decided to form a cell, a team of four, to send them in specific, B-Rank missions. Above that, is the work of Jonin. And as you've already guessed, by your presence here, you are a member of that team.''

''Four, four Chunin?" The girl wondered, processing the new information, and orders. _A new team, huh? Naruto, Kakashi, and even Sakura... our team is undergoing some serious changes. _

''Look, Gurehai.'' The Hokage's voice interrupted her thoughts, with a surprisingly soft tone. ''I understand that things have been rapidly changing these past few weeks. Your team, Team 7, is damaged. You are a Chunin now, you have different duties than your teammates, which is why you might be driven a little apart.'' She stopped, seeing the slight, half hearted smile on the girl's lips.

''Don't tell me you've been worrying about me, Tsunade-sama.'' She said, and the woman froze, before also smiling. The Aoyo had started addressing to her less formally, just like she wanted, and she appreciated that. ''I am a Chunin, and I have to adapt to my new obligations. So...'' She stood straight, her hair only covering half of her small smirk. ''...I await my orders.''

''Very well.'' The Sannin nodded, and motioned for Shizune to go towards the door. ''Call them in.''

The brunette, still holding her little pig, hurried over to the appointed spot and placed her hand on the handle, turning it. When the door opened, three people stepped inside, and she didn't even have to turn around to figure out who they were. She shook her head with a smile.

''Gurehai-taichou!" Kotetsu put his hand on her right shoulder, and she had to look up slightly. Izumo appeared next to him, smiling through his hair. From her other side, a sigh was heard.

''This is such a drag.'' Shikamaru muttered, earning himself a warning glare from Tsunade. ''Those two came and interrupted my cloud watching. It's not even noon yet.''

''It's almost 1 pm.'' Gurehai announced, as he glanced at her with his brown eyes and bored expression. ''I never thought of you as an early bird, Shikamaru. So full of surprises.'' She joked, and he pouted. 

''Now, I declare this cell, consisting of Kamizuki Izumo, Hagane Kotetsu, Aoyo Gurehai and Nara Shikamaru...'' Tsunade stated in her full-of-authority voice, calling out their names from left to right, as all four stood shoulder to shoulder, wearing their identical green vests.

''...The Chunin Four.''

\----

Not over five days later, the three boys and their only female comrade were inside the Hokage's office once again, having just returned from a mission. The Aoyo set two scrolls in front of Tsunade, who sat in her desk, chin resting on her hands. A proud look rested on her features, as she looked at the seal that kept the documents closed. 

''The Chunin Four, reporting for the mission in the Land of Wind, and the meeting with the potential Kazekage and the peace ambassadors...'' Shikamaru recited, his eyes almost closed. Gure rolled her eyes from next to him, deciding to take the task in her own hands. Putting her hands on the loops of her vest, as always, she took a step back, placing herself between her teammates.

''...A success.''


	35. Dangers Of A B-Rank

_''Izumo.'' Gurehai called, squinting in the dark with her tired eyes, in order to see her teammate clearly. ''How far is the cave you mentioned earlier?" She asked, not daring to move her hand in order to push her wet hair away from her eye. The rain had been pouring for almost an hour now, and the two had been wondering the seemingly endless forest before since. _

_''It's kind of hard to tell wth all this rain.'' The brunette stopped a few feet in front of her, catching his breath. Kotetsu's body on his back was growing heavier and heavier by each passing second, and mud had started to form beneath their feet, making the process of walking harder. ''We should be seeing two trees with their barks wrapped around one another soon. After that, all we need to do is keep an eye out for the entrance.''_

_With that, he inhaled a shaky breath, and hoisted his spiky haired friend up, hands under his thighs. The girl swallowed the small amount of blood that had pooled in her mouth and momentarily squeezed her eyes shut, trying to blink the rain water away. Following the older boy's footsteps, she took careful steps._

_''Hang in there, Shikamaru.'' She whispered to the Nara, whose head rested limp on her right shoulder. She secured her hold on him, his left arm hanging over her neck, and looked ahead._

_\----_  
Five Hours Earlier  
\----

''Orochimaru's hideout is rumored to be a few miles north-east of the Leaf-Sound border, close to Yugakure. Our job is to find it, investigate it, and get as much information as possible.'' Gurehai explained, as the Chunin Four jumped from tree to tree, closing in on the Land of Sound.

''What about enemy ninja? Do we know if it's guarded?" Izumo asked, side by side with Kotetsu. This time, Shikamaru spoke up, from next to Gurehai.

''That's what we are not certain about. Orochimaru is known to have many hideouts and bases, but we have yet to find one which he, at that time, occupied. That leads us to believe that he switches from one base to another frequently, leaving it abandoned, or even destroyed, as to not leave traces behind. That also gives the impression that he has bases like that in other Lands, too.''

''Exactly. He'd been a Rogue for years, hiding. But now he has attacked Konoha, and killed two Kage. It's crucial for us to have even the smallest of hints about his next move, because it might concern a future attack. Supposing the base is intact, and that we get in without difficulties, any information we can gather is important. It could concern experiments, other hideouts, plans on attacks or even Sound ninja. Orochimaru is the founder and leader of the Sound, after all.'' The Aoyo went on, before signaling for the other three to stop.

When they landed on the ground, they stayed still, kneeling on the grass. Around them, the forest sounds never ceased echoing through the tall trees.

''We are in Otogakure now.'' Kotetsu realized.

''We'll continue moving on the ground. Our cover will be better, and it'll be easier to spot any entrances or buildings.'' The Kunoichi instructed. Then, she paused for asecond, and closed her eyes. ''We... we'll split up, two miles from here. Izumo, Kotetsu, the two of you obviously go together. You know each other's strengths and weaknesses, and have been partners for a long time. Then, it's me and Shikamaru. We'll cover the southern area, and you the northern.''

''And in case of an attack?" Kotetsu inquired, as they started again on a fast-paced jog.

Gurehai brought her hands together in a seal, and a pile of soil rose from the groun next to them, gradually becoming taller and taller, and taking shape as it moved alongside them. ''My Earth Clone will go with you. If someone attacks us, or we find the hideout, I'll have her tell you. If someone attacks you, or in case you find the hideout first, then strike it. I will know if it gets destroyed.''

The two simultaneously nodded, moving to the left. ''Let's decide on a meeting spot.'' Shikamaru suggested, looking around. ''That boulder over there, the white one. Two hours from now?'' The proposal was met with agreement, and, after a minute, the Chunin Four split up.

The ground beneath their feet was damp, and the leaves that brushed against their skin as they rushed by were wet. The spiky haired boy took the lead, with his teammate following close behind, searching the trees with cautious eyes.

_Izumo and Kotetsu will be fine... they'll be fine. Both pairs will scan the area, find the base, and investigate it. Nothing is going to happen to them, not like it happened in Tori... it won't. Don't think like that. You made a decision. What's done, is done._

''Gurehai?" She heard Shikamaru's voice, which snapped her out of her trance. ''Gurehai?"

''Mm.'' She let out, showing she could hear him.

''They'll be okay. You know that, right?" He said, making her turn around and look at him in surprise. ''Izumo and Kotetsu. You're worried that you didn't make the right choice by splitting us up, aren't you? Well, let me tell you this. Those two have been Chunin longer than us. I'm sure they know a thing or two about danger, don't you agree?''

She stayed silent after that, and also stopped walking. After focusing on the ground for a while, she raised her head. ''You're right about the last part. But I can't help being nervous. Last time I made a quick decision like that, Sasuke ended up getting hurt, fighting with Naruto, and leaving. What am I supposed to do if either or both of them get killed?"

''Seriously, you need to stop blaming yourself for everything.'' The Nara commented calmly, and the girl couldn't meet his eyes. ''Look, I'm not good at comforting people, and it's a drag, but don't beat yourself up. I heard things, I saw things. I have been doing so, for years. You didn't let the Hokage to die. Sasuke leaving wasn't your fault; wasn't it obvious that he'd been having such feelings for quite a while? I was sent after him, with the guys. They all got hurt, fighting enemies, and I just waited for news on their condition in the hospital, not sure if some of them would survive or not. Tsunade-sama had given me a mission, the mission to bring him back before he could be ranked Rogue, just like you. If anything, I failed in more aspects of my mission than you.''

She finally sighed and glanced at him, her blue eye meeting his intelligent brown ones. _I didn't know that had happened. _She thought, as she turned away and focused her gaze on their sourroundings. _Neji, Choji and Inuzuka? With near-fatal injuries?_

''Let's get going. We have to cover as much ground as possible before it's time to make our way back.'' She said, and started walking again. Hearing the boy's footfalls after her a few seconds later, she knew he was following.

They had been wandering for over fifty minutes in silence, when, in the distance between the trees and plants, the boy's eyes caught sight of grey and purple, stone material. Abruptly stopping, he waved for the Aoyo to stop and look towards the direction he was pointing at.

''Found it.'' She whispered, and, concentrating, she created another Clone. ''I'll leave this one here, to watch over the entrance from afar, out of sight. We should get back to the boulder and meet up with Izumo and Kotetsu. I'll send them a message through the Earth Clone that accompanies them, and tell them to go back to the meeting spot, if they aren't already there.'' 

From next to her the second Clone nodded, and hid behind some nearby trees. The two teenagers backed away and then left, running at a faster pace than before.

''Those two defenetily have some joined techniques, like you have with your teamates.'' Gurehai pondered, also focusing on the path they had previously followed. ''First is probably Choji, destracting the enemy. Then comes the Shadow Paralysis, imobilizing them. Then, Yamanaka takes them out, am I right?"

''Yes.'' Shikamaru admitted.

''If I can do the same with something similar to the Rock Fist, then you will have the chance to trap them, won't you? We can try that out, in case the base isn't empty.'' She thought, jumping over a fallen branch. 

''I don't about inside of the base. If it's dark, I can't use the shadows. I need some source of light. One of your Raiton Jutsu, perhaps? Can you make them bright enough?"

''No problem.'' She nodded. _A basic battle plan is also ready, supposing something goes wrong. When we get to the others, we'll immediately head to the base. The sooner we investigate it and find information, the better._

_\----_

''Damn it Izumo, you're such a jinx! You said they'd find the hideout before us, and they did!'' Kotetsu pouted, checking the two blades he had strapped on his back, as they made their way to the place Gurehai and Shikamaru had found.

''You were the one who asked me who I thought would find it first, baka! I was just giving my honest opinion.'' The brunette fired back, shaking his head. ''Anyways, we didn't encounter any threats, either. I only came across a cave entrance, about forty minutes away from the white boulder. It was small, and the limited sunlight enabled me to see the inside. It was empty. Other than that, nothing.''

''I see.'' Gurehai muttered to herself, ahead of the others, leading them. When she suddenly stopped, falling behind, the three males also followed suit, coming to her side. ''The Eart Clone I left behind...'' She instantly said before they could ask, looking at Shikamaru. ''...Got destroyed. Someone is there.'' The Chunin Four glanced at each other quickly before nodding, wordlessly deciding on their plan.

The four approached the scene slowly and cautiously, weapons at hand, and eyes sharp. But, no matter how close the got, no matter how they strained their ears, they neither saw or heard anything. Upon arriving at the entrance, the paused.

''I don't feel any strange chakra signatures.'' The Nara said, investigating the broken down double doors. 

''This is what's left of the Earth Clone.'' The Aoyo noted, kneeling down by a small pile of soil. Then, slowly turning around, she searched the ground with her eyes. ''There are also no signs of struggle or proof that she fought with someone. It's as if... she dispersed by herself.''

''Should we go in?" The Kamizuki wondered, squitning to catch a glimpse of something inside the base. 

''Yes, let's go. We came here for information, after all.'' Shikamaru's words urged them on, accompanied by the sound of skin slapping against skin. Everyone turned to look at him, and saw him with his hand hovering above his collar bone, indicating he had hit himself. ''Must have been a mosquito. Man, what a drag.'' He complained, before entering the hideout first.

Inside, the halls were almost so dark, they could see each other. They wandered seemingly empty rooms for a few minutes, before Kotetsu bended down, and then extended his hand in front of Gurehai. ''Here.'' He said, and the girl saw it was a candle. She put her finger next to the wick and zapped it with lightning, making it light up.

Around them, the candle light reflected on multiple glass surfaces. Gigantic tubes, cords, broken pieces of wood and tables. Lights suddenly started flickering from above, and three of the four slightly jumped, startled. When they got over it, they saw Shikamaru with his hand on a small lever.

''There are no windows.'' He pointed out, and moved along the tables, examining them. Doing the same, Gurehai approached the big tubes. 

_They look big enough to fit a short person. _She contemplated, her mind momentarily travelling to Sasuke. _And the entire laboratory itself... the walls, the floor, the air... why does it... why does it remind me of that dream? The one... the one I saw at that time, when I woke in the Hospital after the Second Exam?_

''There are some kind of documents, over here.'' Izumo announced from nearly the other side of the room, and some suffling was heard. Both her and Kotetsu joined his side, and ran their eyes over the minimal variety of papers, and... maps? ''Northern Hideout? And some coordinates over here... that's... that's around the Land of Earth, isn't it?"

''Not around... in its borders.'' The white haired Chunin commented, grabbing the scroll. ''Test subject 3C, test subject 4C... experiments. But, they date back... a couple of years ago.''

''This talks about another hideout in the Sound.'' Kotetsu pipped up, bringing another scroll close to his face. ''Something about the... Sound Five? Kimimaro... Kaguya, Tayuya... Names of ninja?" 

''Did you say Tayuya?" Shikamaru exclaimed, coming closer. ''Tayuya, and the Sound Five? She's one of the five bearers of the Curse Mark we encountered on our way to retrieving Sasuke. The only woman amongst them. Thi-''

A sudden noise cut the boy off, echoing like thunder around the underground base. All heads snapped towards the entrance of the room, and, as Kotetsu hurried towards the nearby wall, where the lever that had turned the power on was located, Gurehai quickly took out a smaller scroll from the pocket of her vest, opening it and throwing it above the ones about the hideouts. 

''Get down!" She commanded, her voice a hushed whisper. Everyone hit the ground in an instant, hiding behind the cubes, the dark cloaking them once again.

''I told you, Daikichi god damn it!" A woman's high-pitched voice bellowed, coming closer and closer, accompanied by heavy footfalls. ''The little brat said he saw a girl near the entrance about an hour ago! She had white hair, and a fucking flack jacket! There are ninjas here!''

''SHUT YOUR BIG FAT MOUTH UP, WOMAN!" Another voice demanded, just outside the door. This one belonged to a man, and one with big lungs, at that. ''The 'little brat' has a name, and it's Koja! And if you had half his brains, you'd realize that he said the girl turned into soil when he shot her! Soil! It was a Jutsu, woman!"

''My name's not 'woman', Daikichi god damn it!" The female protested again, and, this time, the voices could be heard inside the room. 

''Both of you, be quiet. I'll kill you, and tell Lord Orochimaru you choked each other to death.'' Another male voice, though hoarse and raspy, said, and the lights turned back on. Hiding her body better behind the object, Gurehai pressed herself against the metal.

''What's this?" The voice of the irritating woman shrilled, closer to their hiding spot than ever. _Shit, they reached the table with the papers! _''Daikichi, Kimi god damn it! There are scrolls, there are scrolls missing!" Panic met her revealment, as both her companions ran over to see if she was telling the truth.

The Aoyo took a deep breath and then turned to her teammates, all hidden behind similar tubes on her right. '_Make for the door' _she mouthed, and helf up three fingers. Counting down to one, she abruptly spinned on her heels and pointed her hand on the ceiling.

''Raiton: Storm Current!" She yelled, and a blinding stream of lighting shot out towards the lights, shattering them, and making sparks fly everywhere. Then, she followed the rest of the Chunin Four, spritning towards the door.

''Daikichi, Chimo! After them, you idiots!" The second man's voice commanded, and the Kunoichi caught glimpse of bright orange hair, before darting outside. 

She didn't expect to find herself and the others surrounded the moment they stepped foot outside. A three-foot tall boy and five identical, orange-haired women stood in a circle near the tree line. Bhind them, the three from before emerged. The woman with the shrill voice was also identical to the ones already outside. _Shadow Clones? No, she couldn't possibly be able to create that many. _Throwing a kunai at one of them, it passed right through her.

''They're all simple Clones!" She informed the others, standing next to them, back to back. The other two men matched their voices very well. The first one was very tall, and could be described as fat, and a bald, big head. The other, tall himself but obviously shorter than his partner, had a shaved head and drak bags under his beady eyes.

''Who do we have here? Konohagakure shinobi? My, my, you must be at least Chunin.'' The latter teased, eyeing their attires. ''Kojo, is that the girl you mentioned?" The little kid nodded twice and then glared at them, placing a dart between his fingers.

''We don't have time for this.'' Gurehai mumbled, noticing that none of their enemies wore head bands... and then, she saw them stiched on their clothes. ''Attack, before we loose whatever portion of the element of surprise we have.'' With that, she threw a kunai at the manwith the shaved head, Kimi.

He avoided it, and before he even had the chance to look up, she was jumping at him, Rock Fist on the ready. He raised his arms at the last second, blocking it. And then while distracted by Gurehai's strength, he completely froze, eyes wide.

''Shadow Paralysis Jutsu, a success.'' Shikamaru stated, several feet away, and with Izumo guarding his back. Said Chunin formed a hand seal, and spewed a water-like substance out of his mouth. The moment Chimo, the orange-haired woman and the short boy, Kojo, stepped on it, they could move an inch. Kotetsu came at them, his mace raised.

''What?... G-G-....'' Gurehai heard the Nara stumble over his words. Turningto look at him, her breath hitched in her throat. The boy's eyes suddenly rolled in the back of his head, and he fell backwards, his Jutsu breaking.

''Shikamaru!" She shouted, but was instantly forced a couple of steps back, when a humogous fist collided with her jaw. She heard a crack, and grabbed her face, watching as Daikichi hovered above her. Behind him, Kimi threw a kunai at Kotetsu, who was just bringing his weapon down on Chimo.

''Kotetsu, watch out!" Izumo hollered, noticing the pare bomb attcked to the blade. But it was too late. The kunai hit the mace, exploded, and the spiky haired man was thrown backwards with a grunt. His back and head hit the wall of the hideout, and he passed out. _Shit... how did this happen? What in the world happened to Shikamaru?_

''You're not the only ones who can fight in sync, bratts!" The big man laughed, ready to hammer Gurehai's head. She rolled out of the way quickly, spitting out blood. 

_I broke a tooth... that idiot. _She complained in her head, glancing at Shikamaru's direction once again. ''Izumo! Grab Kotetsu, quickly!" She yelled, placing both hands on the ground as fast as she could. ''Doton: Soil Flow!" Both men shouted as the muddy current threw them in the air and then entirely buried them, leaving the woman and kid stuck on the Syrup Field.

The Aoyo then rushed at her fallen comrade and threw his arms around her shoulder, taking out two, dark purple orbs from her pouches. Throwing them on the ground, they exploded with a bang, and made the Sound nin choke on purple smoke.

\----  
Present Time  
\----

The cave was small, and they had no room for everyone to both fully lie down comfortably and put their things away because of how narrow it was, but at least they all fit in, and it was dry. The rain still raged above their heads, creating large puddles of mud just outside the entrance.

''I am so, so terribly sorry, Ginhane.'' Izumo muttered continuous apologies to the small eagle that was perched on his wrist, and that had a small tube attached to its leg. ''I know the rain is awful for you. I don't like it either. But when I return to the Leaf, I swear I'll buy you the best seeds the market has, okay, budy? But I need you to fly to Konoha. Do this for me, alright?"

The bird let out a screech and flapped its wings, before disappearing outside the cave, their eyes loosing him in the dark. The message he carried was as short and specific as possible, and called for back up.

**5 miles north-east V of End, Sound. Cave. Two unconcious. Heavy rain. Followed by four. Requesting backup. Chunin Four.**

''Kotetsu should be waking up, any minute now.'' Gurehai said, trying to ease her teammate's mind. ''Eat.'' She then told him in a stern voice, tossing him a small pouch of dark red food pills.

''How quickly do you think they'll come?" He asked, taking a bite out of the strangely colored pill. His face immediately lit up. ''They taste like fruit!" The girl smiled, and focused her attention on the weather outside.

''If Ginhane reaches Konoha in two hours' time, it will already be nightime. After that, the time the backup will need to find us depends on their rank, and classification. Though, they'll probably sent trackers. Best case scenario, someone finds us by tomorrow morning, and we set out for the Leaf right away.''

''Won't you eat?" He asked, giving her back her supplies. 

''I will, don't worry. You should rest, too.'' She suggested, pointing with her head at Kotetsu, who was leaning on the wall next to his friend, and Shikamaru, who was lying down next to her feet. ''I'll explain everything to Kotetsu if he wakes up before you, and tell him to keep watch while a rest, too. Shikamaru... Shikamaru hasn't shown any signs of waking up, anyway.''

Indeed, besides occasionally stirring slightly, the boy had shown no signs of recovering from his sudden... slumber.

''Thank you.'' Izumo said, letting his head fall back on the cave wall, as well. ''Wake me up whenever you need something.''

He was snoring a minute later, drooling on Kotetsu's spiky hair. The blue eyed girl looked outside once again, munching the home made food pill her mother had made. 

Time passed by so quickly, she thought she had, at some point, fallen asleep. But the Nara was still unconcious next to her, and the rain was still pouring, though not as much as heavily as before, despite the sun making the forest a little brighter behind the clouds.

Kotetsu woke up mere seconds before Izumo, keeping himself from yelling about the drool in his hair. She told him everything, and, upon hearing help was on the way he relaxed, him and the brunette telling her to rest, and that they had everything covered.

It was all calm and silent, until the sound of a bark ran through the air, above the sound of the rain whiping at the stone. Then, another, louder. And then a third. Gurehai was up on her feet at once, kunai at hand and near her face, still cautious, despite her hopes of the newcomers being allies. Behind her, the two older Chunin watched carefully, hands itching to grab their own weapons. 

But when two heads popped out from the side of the cave's entrance, and her hand fell on her side, a sigh of more surprise than relief escaping her lips.

''Sensei?"


	36. Time For Celebrations

''_Sensei?" _

Kakashi Hatake and the Hokage's apprentice, Shizune, entered the cave at once. The woman knelt down next to Shikamaru and ran her glowing green hands over him, searching for the source of his unconsciousness. Izumo and Kotetsu sighed in relief in the back of the hiding place, while grey haired Jonin walked to stand next to his student, who looked down at the healer, anxious.

''He was injected with some kind of drug.'' She said, reaching a small nick on the side of his neck. ''Fortunately, it isn't poison. It only ment to make him pass out, and keep him that way for a long time.'' _The mosquito bite... right before we entered the hideout. _''It seems that it was designed to take effect the moment his chakra spiked.''

''He fell unconscious when he used his Shadow Paralysis on an enemy.'' Gurehai informed Shizune, recalling the incident. ''It all took a turn for the worse after that.'' She felt her broken tooth with her tongue, and tasted the bitter taste of blood coming from her wound. ''No serious injuries, though. Worst case scenario, Kotetsu has a concussion. We managed to take some scrolls from the base before we got attacked, containing information about his other hideouts and experiments. The mission is complete.''

''The rain has nearly stopped.'' Kakashi noted, as Shikamaru began to stir in his sleep. ''I'll have Bull carry Shikamaru, until he's conscious and stable enough to move on his own.'' At the mention of the name 'Bull', a gigantic bulldog walked into the cave, his dark brown appearing almost black in the limited lighting. The dog, bigger in size than the Nara, lowered down in order for Shizune to place the boy on his back.

''Your head appears to be fine, Kotetsu-san.'' The brunette diagnosed next, taking her hands away from the Chunin's hair. With a 'thanks', the Chunin Four picked whatever equipment they had taken off up, and along with their backup, exited the cave, and made their way through the muddy forest.

Shikamaru woke up about half an hour away from the Village, with his bored expression settling on his features the moment he opened his eyes. Nearly falling of Bull's back when he realized who was carrying him, he stood up and stretched his arms, insisting that he would walk by himself.

The dog continued to ran alongside Gurehai for the rest of the way, resulting to Kakashi sending him a comical, offended look. The girl kept her smile to herself and winked at her new companion, who somehow seemed to understand her gesture.

The Gates of Konoha were wide open, waiting for them, as always. Shizune waved at all of them and ran off, saying she needed to get to Lady Tsunade before she could sneak away to drink. Bull slightly rubbed his big head against the Aoyo's side before disappearing in a puff of smoke, leaving her a bit weirded out by the strange display of affection. Then she paused, and though quickly.

''The three of you can go home if you like. I'll head to the Hokage's office and do the report on my own, don't worry.'' She said to her three fellow Chunin, hiding the nervousness that was bubbling up in her gut. _I can't let them enter her office with me today. _

The Kamizuki and Hagane's faces lit up instantly, and they pumped their fists in the air. ''Yes, Taichou, thank you!" They both simultaneously laughed, and then immediately walking off. ''Let's go for a bite to eat before Tsunade-sama sends to Guard duty again, Izumo!" Was the last thing she heard before they took a turn, and hid from view. 

''Alright then, I'll be going too.'' Shikamaru said, but not hesitating to shoot his female comrade a slightly suspicious look. ''I promised Ino and Choji I'd join them for some barbecue when I got back. See you.'' He mumbled and also took his own path, towards the shops. Gurehai had almost let out a relieved sigh, when she remembered her teacher was still there.

''Let's get going, then, Gurehai.'' The Hatake urged, taking the first steps towards the center of the Village. ''As leader of the backup team, I have to give in my report too.'' The girl new she couldn't press on the matter without making him suspicious anymore, so she nodded and followed him. Not ten steps later, though, a yell made them stop in their tracks.

''GURE-CHAN! KAKASHI-SENSEI!" The hyperactive Uzumaki shouted, approaching them with a fast pace. He skidded to a stop a few feet in front of them, grinning like a mad man, as always. Not giving much thought to his hands, which were hidden behind his back, she greeted him, too.

''Oh, Naruto. How are you doing?" She asked, with Kakashi smiling from next to her.

''I'm awsome!" He replied, taking one of his hands from behind his back to point his thumb at his face. ''I got back from a mission too, a few hours ago.'' He said, glancing at the direction she and their sensei had come from. ''How are you two today?" He asked, but then immediately began talking again, not giving them a chance to reply. ''Which reminds me...'' He trailed off, before... bringing his hands forward, along with the red box he was holding. 

_No way! _Kakashi grew frantic in his mind, eyebrows twitching on the outside. _He couldn't possibly... How did he found out? Should I.... _Not seeing his surprised expression, Gurehai sighed.

''Happy Birthday!'' The blonde wished, giving another of his famous smiles. The Jonin's surprise turned into akward laughter, while the girl couldn't help but smile a bit, too.

''Who told you about it?' She asked, taking the present in her own hands. Kakashi turned his confused eye to her. _Wait... what? _''It was mother, wasn't it? I should have known.''

''Yes! I went to your house right after my mission, to ask you if you wanted to go eat some ramen at Ichiraku, but I only found Gure-san cooking, and she said you were on a mission, and that she was making something for your birthday!" He rambled on, urging her to open the parcel. ''I didn't know what to get you, so I just went with something I know you enjoy, ttebayo!" 

''I think I'm going to open it when I get home.'' The girl smiled genuinely. _I think I am going to bet it's something related to ramen, _she thought, and handed it back to the boy. ''I'll also take you up to your offer. I'll meet you at Ichiraku's in fifteen minutes, once I'm done with my report, okay? Sensei, what about you? Will you come with us?" She turned to Kakashi, who scratched his neck and looked down at his students.

Naruto's eyes widened, and he stifled a gasp. _Yes, yes, yes, yes, YES! If Kakashi-sensei comes for ramen, then he'll have to take off his mask to eat, and we'll finally take a look at his face! Gure-chan, you're so smart!_

''Ramen, huh?" The Jonin muttered, more to himself. ''We'll see. First, me and Gurehai have to go to the Hokage's office and give our report. Let me give you an answer after that, alright?" Naruto grinned again and saluted them, running off again, towards his favorite shop in Konoha. The duo then headed for their original destination, fortunately for Gurehai, in silence.

The Aoyo secretly dreaded them moment she would step foot inside Tsunade's office, especially with her entire team, and that's why she had convinced them to leave the aftermath of their mission to her. And her intuition turned out to be correct after all, when she and her teacher got to her office.

''The Chunin Four, reporting for the mission in Otogakure. A success. We retrieved scrolls upon investigating the hideout Orochimaru has left behind, and encountered some of the Sound's ninja. A team of four. Two men, a woman, and a little kid, no older than ten. They appeared to be guarding the base, even though it was half-destroyed. Their names... their names are Kimi, Daikichi, Chimo, and Koja, respectively. Kimi died when we and them crossed blades.''

_Crossed blades is one way to put it. _She pondered, remembering how her eye burned when she hit them with the Soil Flow. _It must have thrown him on the wall. _She took out the scroll in which she had sealed the documents, and placed the two new scrolls in front of Tsunade.

''They both contain information on Orochimaru's bases. On located in the Sound, and the other, named the 'Northern Hideout', on the border of the Land of Earth. There are also some details on experiments he conducted on the Sound Five, the team of ninja Shikamaru's team and I encountered on our way to retrieve Sasuke. All five were bearers of the Curse Mark.''

Tsunade's eyes skimmed the paper, the things she read confirming the Chunin's words. Then she set down the documents, intertwining her fingers, as always. ''And where are the rest three of the Chunin Four?" She asked, eyebrow raised, a signal that she probably already knew what had happened to them.

''I sent them home.'' Gurehai honestly replied, sighing. ''They seemed... tired.'' 

The Hokage's eyes narrowed. ''I'll believe that.'' She commented, leaning back on her chair. _I knew it._ ''Now, since the report is over, you can leave. I'll give you the rest of the day off, too. Consider it a birthday present.'' At that, Gurehai inwardly gave the most exasperated eye roll she could muster. ''Dismissed.''

She exited the office with Kakashi following close behind, and sighed once again. 

''You told the others to go home because you didn't want them to know about your birthday, didn't you?" The man asked, his mask hiding the small smile he had on his lips.

''Mmm.'' The Aoyo mumbled in agreement, keeping herself from glaring at him. _He didn't have a report to do. He just wanted to see why I didn't want the others to come with me to the Hokage's office. Sly Jonin. _''Izumo and Kotetsu would make a fuss about it, and it's not like I celebrate it, anyways.'' She added, thinking about what was awaiting her when she got home. _Are the twins still in Konoha? _''What will you do, sensei?"

Kakashi halted, momentarily thinking that his secret was finally out. ''Eh?"

''For ramen. Will you go with me and Naruto?" 

''Ah, no, sorry. I think I'll have to pass.'' He apologized, once they reached the street where Ichiraku Ramen was located. ''But I'll arrange a meeting for Team 7 one of this days. We can't fall back on training, now, can we?" He scratched the back of his head and then waved at her, disappearing, as always, in a puff of smoke.

The girl continued walking towards her destination, hands in the loops of her vest. _What are the odds of that? _She smirked to herself, passing by the barbecue place. _I should probably invite Naruto over, instead of eating ramen. Mother was cooking... she must be expecting someone more than me. In that case, even if Naruto has already eaten, he won't refuse seconds._

''Gurehai!" A familiar voice called for her, and she turned her head to the left. There she saw Team 10, with the exception of their Jonin leader, about to enter the restaurant. Shikamaru slowly approached her, while Ino and Choji, who was munching on a bag of chips, stayed behind. ''This is such a drag...'' He began, looking away. ''...But I just wanted to say thank you. Izumo... Izumo told me what happened back there, outside Orochimaru's base.''

''What do you mean? You were there, when they attacked us. And we told you about the drug.'' She frowned, not really knowing where this was going.

''That's not what I'm talking about, you troublesome woman.'' The boy muttered to himself, making Gurehai strain her ears. ''He told me about how you carried me all the way back to the cave on your own.'' He said, almost [pouting](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/my-hero-academia-fanon/images/2/22/Kyuta-Tetsumi.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20161118182405). ''I just wanted to say thanks.''

''Don't be an idiot.'' She commented. ''Could there possibly a chance that I wouldn't carry you? You were injured, idiot. An injured comrade. Do you know many people who wouldn't have helped you? Wouldn't you have done the same?" She tried to make her point, eventually succeeding.

''Still...'' Shikamaru added, hands in his pockets. ''Men should be the ones saving girls, not the other way around.'' He huffed, making Gurehai's eyebrow unnoticeably twitch. _Is he calling himself a man, and me a girl?_

''Oi, Nara.'' She suddenly snapped, almost annoyed. ''Respect to your elders.'' She demanded, turning her head away. 

''Oh, that's right.'' He remembered. ''Happy birthday, by the way.'' His teammate sighed for the umpteenth time that day. ''Naruto ran into Choji a while ago, saying he was in a hurry to buy you a present. So, yeah...'' 

''Thank you.'' She finally said, and walked away. _If I am any more late, Naruto will start throwing a fit. _''See you in our next mission.'' The other Chunin agreed, and they both went seperate ways.

The blonde Uzumaki sat on his usual stool, inhaling his second bowl of ramen, with the bright red box sitting on the stool on his right. Gurehai pushed the curtains aside, and, after begrudgingly accepting another set of 'happy birthday' wishes from the owner and his daughter, placed a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder. 

''Naruto... wanna come over to my house today?"

\----

The front door of the two Aoyos' household opened slowly, and Gurehai let her companion enter first, before following his lead and closing it behind her. Not even a second later, a figure jumped out from the corner next to them -also known as, the stairs- and tackled the poor Uzumaki, wrapping their entire arm around his neck. The boy let out a startled cry, and started hitting the person's bicep, trying to get them to let go.

''Eh? You're not Gurehai!" Gureni mumbled in a disappointed manner, instantly taking his arm back. 

''Of course I'm not, teme!" The Genin shouted up at the taller male, who narrowed his blue eyes at him. Rubbing his irritated skin, Naruto pouted. ''I'm Naruto, Naruto, ttebayo!" _You should be happy it wasn't me, _the girl thought. _I would have punched you out of reflex._

''What? Our cousin already brought a boy home?" Ni gasped, now glaring at the guest. A hand appeared next to his head and smacked him, as Gureichi made his appearance. 

''He's Naruto, her teammate from _that _day, idiot.'' The boy stated, urging his brother to remember the day they had approached Gurehai as travelers asking for directions. ''Think before you talk. Also, happy birthday, cousin.'' The blue eyed boy smiled, handing her something.

''It's from the both of us!" The other twin added, also giving her an identical, to his brother's, smile.

The item she was handed, was a weapon. Taking it in both her hands, she admired its shape. It was two kunai blades, that seemed to be connected on the handles, and shared a single, regular sized hole. Together, they made one long kunai, around the length of the space between her elbow and palm. The Kunoichi wouldn't have been able to hide her smile, even if she had tried.

''You can pass both Lightning and Wind chakra through it, to help you with your future attacks.'' Her head snapped up at that. _''_A little bird told us about your goals for the future, and the idea forced itself in our heads.'' They smirked knowingly, and right on cue, Gureki came in the room herself, supporting herself with her walking stick.

''Happy birthday, honey.'' She embraced her daughter, who had handed her new weapon back to her cousins in order to not harm her mother. ''I know we don't usually celebrate it... but this year we have special guests, wouldn't you say?" She asked, and turned her kind expression to Naruto, who just stood there dumbfounded. ''It's good to see you again, Naruto.'' She told him, snapping him out of his gaze.''

''Hi.'' He said, looking back and forth between Ichi and Ni, frowning more every time his eyes flickered from one to another. 

''That's right, Naruto.'' Gurehai explained. ''This is Gureichi and Gureni, my cousins. You probably won't find a way to tell them apart, even if you try.'' The blonde nodded his head, but kept a confused expression on.

''Honey, you should now that Jiraiya couldn't make it.'' The woman quietly informed her daughter, as the twins listened to the Uzumaki's questions. ''He had to leave for some matters the he and Hokage discussed... he couldn't get into detail.''

''It's okay, mother. I'll probably see him soon, anyways.''

''Now, we should all head to the kitchen. My present for Gurehai awaits us there.'' Gureki announced, pointing to a nearby room. ''I made something special.'' Knowing exactly what the older Aoyo was talking about, Gure took her teammate by the arm and showed him to the kitchen.

''Naruto, you're about to eat the best dessert you've ever tasted in your entire life.''

\----

Kakashi arrived home a little late at night, when the dark blue sky was completely littered with tiny little shiny stars. He closed the door of his apartment and took off his sandals, before slipping out of his vest and untying his Konohagakure headband from around his forehead. Then he fell with a dramatic sigh on his bed, staring at his ceiling with his grey hair hiding his Sharingan.

Suddenly he frowned, instantly sitting up and narrowing his one open eye.

He shot up from his resting spot and walked to his window, at the opposite side of the door, bare feet padding on the wooden floor with soft thuds. There, on the other side of the windowsill, sat a thin blue box, with a note stitched on the lid. The Jonin opened the window slightly and took the box in his hands, immediately after closing it and resting against the glass. Taking the note in his hands, he realized he couldn't recognize the handwriting.

_Happy Birthday, _the loopy handwriting said, covering the entire front side of it. Turning it around, he noticed another message in the lower corner, written in smaller letters.

_Your hand jerked towards that present._

His black eye widened at the words, instantly knowing who it was. His gaze then fell on the box, which was probably a present, too. He set the note carefully aside on his desk and then opened it, reaching inside to take the packaged item out.

He held the soft but elastic fabric between his fingers, inspecting its dark color carefully. The mask was almost identical to the one he was wearing, with the only exception being its color. It was a shade of dark grey, and it reminded him the metal of kunai blades.

He put it back on its box and closed the lid, setting it down next to the picture of him and the rest of Team 7 with a smile never leaving his features. He glanced outside the window, eyes skimming the Village lights even though it was almost impossible to pinpoint her house.

''Happy birthday to the both of us, then.''


	37. For Her Hand

''A tournament... in the Land of Rivers?" Gurehai questioned, holding the long piece of parchment in her bare hands. The mission _seemed_ simple. But why did she have the feeling it was going to be anything but that?

''The young man who requested it is a guard of the Feudal Lord's palace. He said that one of the lords in the Land of Rivers is holding the tournament, and that only the winner will be considered worthy enough to marry his daughter.'' Tsunade explained.

''But it says here that the tournament will have four phases.'' The girl frowned, reading the details once more. ''A battle of weapons; A battle of fists; A battle of Jutsu; And a battle... a battle of... spirit?" She squinted, having absolutely no idea as to what the latter was referring to. ''If the winner is supposed to mary the princess, then what am I and my team going to do there? And what about the man that requested it?"

''Asano-san explained everything to me, but left immediately after, saying he couldn't afford to have his lack of presence in the palace be discovered. He intents to marry the princess, but he doesn't want anyone to know. Every participant won't actually be participating himself. He has to have four champions, one for each battle. They will fight on his behalf, and ascend to the final competition, the Brawl, if they win. Whoever comes out of the Brawl victorious, gives his master the right to ask the hand of the princess.''

''So I am to pick three Genin, one for each battle. I will fight in one of them, correct?'' The Hokage answered her question by nodding. ''Three Genin... I have an idea already. But what about the battle of spirit? What kind of skills is the champion supposed to have?''

''Mind Jutsu.'' Tsunade simply retorted, bringing another stack of papers in front of her with a sigh. ''Or, a sensor. Someone like...''

''...Ino Yamanaka.'' 

\----

''Now that we've all gathered here, I'd like to let you in on some details concerning the mission.'' The Chunin said, her blue eye glancing back and forth between her three subordinates. ''You know about our role in it. We will meet our client, Asano, in the palace grounds where the tournament is going to be held, tomorrow. We will be provided with accommodation, as well as nutrition, throughout the days of the tournament. Also, I assume that you have already guesses in which battle you are going to participate, am I right?" 

''The spirit battle.'' Ino blew a strand of her out of her face, only for it to land on the exact same spot, in front of her eye. ''With the Mind Transfer Jutsu.''

''The battle of weapons!" Tenten smiled, clearly the most energetic out of the three. She had probably hidden sealing scrolls all over her body, each one containing an array of different weapons.

''Th-the b-battle o-of... f-fists...?" Hinata blushed, fidgeting with her fingers. The shorter girl had almost lost it when Neji had come over to were she was sitting in her garden, about to prepare some tea for him and her father to drink, to tell her the Chunin was there, asking to see her.

_Gurehai heard the two Hyugas fight before she saw them. Nearing the Hyuga compound, a place she didn't recall ever visiting before, the sound of thuds and familiar grunts echoed all around, alerting her of Neji's presence. She approached the open gates with confident strides, and stood in the middle of them with her posture straight._

_Indeed, the long haired boy was sparring with an older man, whose hair was also long but slowly graying, tied back in the same fashion as his partner. The had their Byakugan active, and their pairs of lavender eyes challenged one another as they clashed. Shortly after her silent arrival, the Genin backed away, getting out of his fighting stance._

_''Gurehai?" He asked, panting. The older man, who the Aoyo knew as Hiashi, the head of the clan, turned his unwavering gaze towards the newcomer, and his eyes immediately fell on her Chunin vest. ''What are you doing here?"_

_**He's acting strict when around his uncle, **she noted, and kept her expression blank._

_''Lord Hiashi, please excuse my intrusion.'' She slightly bowed her head in respect, and then looked back up. ''I have come here on duty. More specifically, to recruit someone for a mission. Could you please tell me where to find your daugther, Hinata?" She asked, surprising both males._

_''Of course.'' The older man nodded, and glanced at his nephew. ''Neji, go get her.'' The boy hurried off with a bow of his head, disappearing inside the building. ''What kind of mission is it going to be?"_

_''Hinata, myself and my other subordinates will be participating in a tournament of power, held by the Feudal Lords of the Land of Rivers. Our client will claim the hand of the Lord's daughter, and we will help him by taking out other champions of the suitors. Your daughter will enter a battle of Taijutsu, and that's why I need your consent.''_

_''You have it.'' The man replied, hiding his hands in his long sleeves. ''You should now that she has many weaknesses. Her body might give up on her.'' He commented, in a warning tone. But Gurehai, having heard everything that had occurred during the second phase of the Exams, knew better._

_''I have no doubt that her spirit will not, Lord Hiashi.'' She said, and watched as Neji and Hinata entered the yard from the corner of her eye. ''And neither will her team.''_

''Exactly.'' The Chunin nodded, as the four reached the Village Gates. ''I will be taking part in the battle of Jutsu. There will probably be many suitors with champions there, which means that since at least one Jutsu user will be entering, the tournament will have more ninja like us, as well. Ninjas that have been hired, like us. What I ask from the three of you, is to not give up. We might come across difficult opponents, some of us might lose. But at least one must make it through to the Brawl. I don't care if it's you, Hinata, or you, Tenten. But as Kunoichi, our duty is to complete the mission. So we'll make it to the Brawl, and win, and come back here, knowing that Asano is going to get married. Am I clear?"

Silence followed. Then, Hinata looked up with her lavender eyes full of determination. ''Y-yes, Gurehai-san!" She exclaimed, a small blush coating her cheeks. _I heard you talking to father, Gurehai. I heard what you told him about me. So I won't let you down, and win the battle of fists... No matter what!_

\----

''What are you four girlies doing here?" A man grimaced, looking down at them with a cigarette hanging from his open mouth. ''Are you the new maids Asaki said would come to help for the tournament? You must be them.'' He scratched his almost bald head, his gaze falling on a particular Hyuga, who cowered behind Tenten. 

Gurehai hid the scowl that was desperately trying to escape and rested her hands on her vest, staring at the guard with an almost bored expression. They were just outside the palace grounds, talking with a man who only seemed to let people affiliated with the tournament pass. Behind her, Ino was fuming. ''You listen here, you old bald oaf-...''

''We are here to participate in the tournament, not help out with it.'' The Chunin raised her voice, adding a more demanding tone to it. ''My name is Gurehai, and I'm the leader of this group. Could you tell me where I could find a guard named Asano, sir?'' 

''Well, you're certainly more polite than the blonde one...'' He trailed off, while the Yamanaka balled her fist threateningly a few feet away. Then he abruptly paused, his brown eyes widening.''Wait... you are the ninja Asano hired?" And then, without an answer, he put two and two together, and started laughing. 

The sound boomed all around and resulted to more people turning to look at him, the gigantic man clutching his chest and disrupting the monotonous exchanges they were having until then. 

''USHIMA!" A new voice hollered, and a spear came down from behind the guard and hit him in the helmet, making him grunt. ''Stop yelling about my entrance in the tournament, you bastard! And quit mocking my champions!" A shorter man grabbed Ushima's shoulder and hissed in his ear, earning a cheeky grin in return.

The man was younger than the first one, and packed a considerably smaller amount of muscles. His hair was long and light brown, hidden inside his own helmet. When he turned his head to look at the team of Kunoichi, they saw his eyes were a gold color, just like the molten precious metal.

''Excuse my friend, he's just a big. Rude. Idiot'' He laughed, punching the taller guard in the shoulder at each one of his last three words. Nobody noticed Ino's jaw hitting the ground from behind Hinata, and her blue eyes turning into mirrors of admiration. ''I can tell you really are Kunoichi by your attire and headbands. I am Asano. If you'll please follow me, I'll take you to your living quarters.''

The living quarters turned out to be a two-storry wooden house, outside the premises of the palace grounds, and into the village surrounding it. Letting the girls enter first, he closed the door behind them, and smiled as they took off their shoes.

''Grandma, I'm home!" He shouted, before turning to his guests with an awkward smile. The smell of herbs filled Gurehai's nostrils. ''Unfortunately, only those of other villages are allowed into the palace. The suitors living here must provide accommodation to their own champions, so... here you are. I am afraid you will all have to share a room, since-...''

''Stop blabbering nonsense, young man!" An old woman's voice said and a large wooden spoon instantly collided with Asano's leg, making him jump. The possibly shortest woman Gurehai had ever seen in her life appeared from behind the boy, her face wrinkled, and her eyes squinting so much they looked like just another set of lines on her head. ''You and Ushima are sleeping on the floor, by the fire place! I have already laid out your beds! The girls will split up and take your room!"

Her wooden spoon turned to point at a nearby corner, where two mattresses lay in front of a beautiful stone fire place. On the left, a space decorated with counters, pots and other cutlery hosted a table, indicating it was the kitchen.

_Isn't Ushima?... _

''Come with me, girls.'' The old woman then smiled sweetly at her guests, tossing the spoon at Asano, who barely caught it. ''Let's get you to your rooms. I am Mihime, but you can just call me grandma.'' The four, baffled with the fast turn of events, nodded, and trailed after her.

''My name is Gurehai.'' The Aoyo said, pointing to herself. ''And the are my teammates Hinata, Tenten and Ino.'' She tries her best not to call the blonde a bitter 'Yamanaka', and succeeded. The climbed a staircase, and came into a hallway hosting three identical doors, two on the right, and one on the left.

''Your rooms are the one on the left, and the second on the right.'' She suddenly frowned, looking down at her empty hands. ''Where's my spoon? Oh, I must have left it down in the kitchen... Now, the four of you, split up however you like. I will serve dinner when Ushima gets back, in a little while. Come down soon, okay?" And with that, she left them, making her way downstairs.

_She didn't remember what she did with the wooden spoon, _the white haired girl noted, and faced her comrades. ''Me and Hinata will take one room. Are you okay with it, Hinata?" She asked gently, and the blue haired Hyuga nodded. ''That settles it then. Unpack your things, lied down for a while, if you want. We will discuss more details about the tournament with Asano, during lunch.''

''Yes, Captain!" Tenten winked, quickly opening the door to the left, dragging Ino with her.

The room Gurehai and the lavender eyed Byakugan user shared was small, with a mattress laid out on each of its furthest corners, and a space of one more separating them, underneath a window that poured sunlight into the the room. She took off her Chunin vest and folded it, setting it down on her bed. Now her dark grey cloak only fell above the rest of her black attire, with only the icy blue trimmings adding some colour. Next, off came the protector around her forehead, being placed on top of the jacket.

''Are you coming, Hinata?" She asked, and together, they joined Asano and his grandma downstairs.

The soup Mihime served was the most delicious chicken related food she had ever eaten before in her life. She sat cross legged between Asano and the grandma, with the latter on her left. Ino sat on the head of the table next to Asano, glancing at him every now and then, and Ushima sat on her other side, with his coal black moikana giving him more height, even if sitting. Tenten looked like an ant next to him, with the Hyuga heiress, on the opposite side of Ino, closing the circle.

Ushima, as Gurehai learned during that meal, despite being extremely irritated that he had to sleep out of the comfort of his room, was also Asano's childhood friend, and Mihime's true grandson. The client had moved apparently moved in with them many years ago, and the old woman had no problem at all.

''Mihime-san, I have to say that your soup really rivals my mother's cooking.'' Gurehai commented, close to finishing her bowl. The woman, turning to her with her usual, close eyed smile -that she only seemed to direct towards her guests- nodded in appreciation.

''Thank you, dear... dear... Would you mind telling me your name again?" She asked, still laughing.

''Gurehai. But if it seems to long for you, you can call me Hai.'' The white haired girl quickly added, gulping down another spoonful.

''Gurehai, Gurehai... you have a very pretty name, my girl. A pretty name, for a pretty girl. Was it your mother who named you? I am sure it was because of your hair.''

''It was my godfather, but yes, the last part is true. Once again, I compliment you for your amazing cooking.'' With one last smile, Mihime turned to the shy Hinata, engaging her in a conversation about healing herbs.

''She has started forgetting things quicker than before.'' The brunette guard told her, with a sad look in his gold eyes. ''I guess it's normal, for her age. But that's why I want to make her a great-grandchild. So that she can learn their name before it's too late. If I can do that, then, I will be able to rest assured that I have made at least one of her wishes come true.''

''A grand-child, huh? But why with the princess of all people, if I may?"

''Believe it or not, Kira-the princess, myself and Asaki, my little sister-who is her personal handmaiden, were all very close, as children. That was before my teens, when I met Ushima. Back then, my sister and I lived on our own, and visiting the palace as many of the orphans did wasn't uncommon. She and the princess became fast friends, and as for me... I fell in love.''

From the corner of her eye, the Aoyo saw Tenten waving her hands around, as if swinging a mace, and Ushima laughed, patting her head. ''Falling in love with the princess must have been hard.''

''I realized that, a few months later. Asaki was taken into the palace, to work as a maid, and I was no longer so casually accepted into the gardens. That's when grandma took me in, and Ushima became the brother I never had. I was hopeless. I joined the guard squads, and was assigned to the palace. But seeing Kira, let alone my sister, was hard. I was almost ready to turn my heart to stone and give up, when...''

''The tournament and its purpose was announced.'' Her companion nodded his head with a goofy grin.

''Apparently, the princess refused to marry anyone who isn't worthy. Somewhere deep down, I hope that she did it, so that I could have a chance. And I would never have grasped it, if it weren't for merchants and travelers talking about shinobi, and the big event that had recently taken place in the Land of Fire. The Chunin Exams, and the extraordinary participants.'' His suggestive glance made her internally chuckle.

''You mean to tell me that you personally heard about me?" She was met with agreement, and shook her head, thinking about the Hokage, somewhere back in Konoha. ''Even if so, you should know that none of the people I have brought here with me made it through to that 'big event'. I am not, in any sense, undermining their abilities, but, are you still confident?"

''You are the Captain. You chose them. If you really were the one who brought them here, as you say, then I have no doubt that I will soon be holding Kira's hand in mine.'' That made her look away and focus her attention back on her bowl, and finishing its contents.

After everyone was finished, and the old woman almost beat her boys outside, for some reason, Gurehai told the other three girls to head upstairs and lie down if they wanted, and that she would be upstairs soon too, after she helped Mihime with cleaning up. Despite Hinata quietly protesting, she managed to usher her team to their rooms.

''Thank you for letting us stay, Mihime-san. Asano explained us the situation, so I hope it's not too much trouble.'' She took a tower of bowls out off the woman's hands and took them to the sink, where the spoons had already been washed.

''Ushima and Asano are grown men, dear! Nothing will happen to them if they spent a few nights on a mattress! Anyways, I like having more people here, too. It's getting boring with these too baboons only, day and night!'' Taking another set of plates away, the ninja smiled.

''What's your name, dear?" Mihime questioned after a while, when the two of them had started sweeping.

''Gurehai.'' She simply answered, never losing her smile. ''My name is Gurehai, but if it's too long for you, you can call me Hai.'' She put the broom aside, and watched as her host walked to the fire place, kneeling down in front of it.

''Oh, Gurehai. That's a pretty name!'' She giggled, throwing a log in the fire. ''You know what I always say. Pretty names, are for pretty girls! But now, you should go to sleep. I'll head upstairs too, when I finish here. Goodnight, my dear!"

''Yes.'' Gurehai turned her back to the living room, silently climbing up the stairs. ''Goodnight, Mihime-san.''


	38. Kunoichi Power

The tournament was to begin at noon the following day, and so, at 7 a.m sharp, Mihime burst through Gurehai and Hinata's door, waving around two sets of white towels threateningly. The white haired girl caught the one she was thrown and wrapped it around her nearly bare chest, and waited for her roommate to also get up, before following their hostess outside. 

Once in the hall, she saw Ino rubbing her eyes, and Tenten yawing next to her, her messy brown hair pulled up in two pig tails instead of her usual buns. They had identical white towels hanging from their arms and shoulders, and, much like their teammates, stumbled slightly.

''You have to get cleaned up before the start of the tournament!'' The tiny woman ushered them down the stairs, hitting them with her wooden spoon every time someone fell behind. ''I had Asano and Ushima scrub themselves raw last night!'' She said, and led them to a door near the kitchen, which was probably the back one. There, spreading throughout almost the entire yard, was a hot spring-like pool, with wooden buckets waiting for them at its sides. A tall wooden fence stood all around them, and for that, they were grateful.

After practically stripping them naked and listening to none of their objections, Mihime pushed them in, and started scrubbing their backs with a gigantic brush. Gurehai had made sure to get in first during the commotion and sink down until the steaming hot water reached her collarbone, letting a few strands of hair fall in front of her eye, while the rest of it was tied back in a bun.

Mihime passed by each of them, splashing them with water, scrubbing their backs and making occasional comments like how Hinata's chest would grow big, how Ino's hips would help her during childbirth in the future, and how Gurehai would become taller than all of them. After almost two hours of seemingly endless torture, they dressed in their ninja attires and had breakfast.

Immediately after that, they headed to the palace grounds, and met up with Asano and Ushima, who weren't dressed in their usual guard armor. The first wore a strange dark blue cloak with the hood up, while the latter sported regular, every day clothes.

''What's with the get up, Asano-san?" Tenten questioned, examining the garb.

''I can't let anyone else outside this group know about my entrance in the tournament.'' He explained, looking down. ''Until 11, when the suitors have to take their champions and register their entrance, I don't want anyone to know. Even then, I'll keep my face hidden.''

''But, doesn't that mean that any group of five can participate?" Ino frowned, arms crossed. ''Four for the battles, and one as their master?''

''In a sense, yes.'' Ushima butted in, towering over all of them. ''The suitor can be anyone, but, as for the champions... one has to be able to perform Jutsu, and one has to be able to use some kind of Mind Jutsu. That means, at least two out of the four have to be ninja, or at least people able to wield chakra.''

Around them, coming in and out of the gates and other entrances, all sorts of people started to appear. Men, women, children and older citizens, merchants, dancers and singers, cooks selling their creations, people dressed in both expensive garbs and peasant shirts, warriors, guards, palace maidens and Lords of importance. They all headed towards one direction; The great wooden bleachers built around a wide arena.

''That's bad.'' Gurehai mused out of the blue, processing Ushima's words. ''That might be really, really bad. If anyone can enter the tournament, as you say, then there's no doubt that Rogue's, or people who hired them, will be here too.''

''R-Rogues?" Hinata cried, looking around in concern.

''Yes. Some of the rich Lords might have hired them, or they could even be here on their own. Why would they miss up on the chance of claiming a princess's hand, especially if their abilities measure up to the challenge?"

''Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!" Asano panicked, his gold eyes darting around, as to pin point said people. ''What do we do? What do _you _do?''

''Relax, Asano-san.'' Gurehai tried to calm the young man down, despite noticing that her team was in distress. ''If it gives you any consolation, then you should know that I've dealt with Rogue Ninja twice before. Personally.'' She added with a sigh, recalling both Zabuza and Kuro. ''They might know Jutsu, and they might be skilled in martial arts. Some might even be Jonin level. But remember, even if only one of us makes it to the Brawl, then we have chances to win, and no one will risk killing someone in this kind of event. And neither my team nor I will back down now, or in the arena. Isn't that right, Team Hai?"

''Yes, Captain!''

''Y-Yes!"

''Humph.''

''Now, let's go and give our names to those secretaries. We don't want to miss the registrations, do we?"

\----

''Ladies and gentlemen, dear travelers and Lords, contestants and masters...'' A man coated in different kinds of make up and dressed in a variety of materials called out, standing in front of a platform different that the audience seats, obviously made for the Feudal Lord and his daughter. ''...I welcome you to our humble event, and wish you all a great time! Please welcome, our Lord and his daughter, princess Kira!" 

From above, the deafening roar of people yelling and applauding pierced her and her team's ears. _Asano, Ushima and Mihime are somewhere in that crowd, _she thought, looking at the spectators as closely as she could from her spot outside the arena. Team Hai, along with every other group of four representing their masters, impatiently waited in their assigned waiting spot. 

''And now, please welcome our... GLADIATORS!" He bellowed, and another wave of cheers, perhaps louder than the first, shook the wooden structure to ts core. Along with the four girls, dozens of contestants rushed inside the wide arena, some yelling, some hitting their chests in anticipation, some kept quiet, their sharp eyes analyzing their future opponents, just like the Konoha ninja. The were nearly pushed to the ground by the older fighters.

The fact that they were all men, didn't help either.

The man went one calling out the names of some masters and their fighters, who, she figured, all had code names. That made her glad for her last-minute decision in front of the secretaries earlier. Finally, the man called out theirs, and they seemed to be the last ones.

''And, at last, we have our lone, four ladies.'' Obvious laughter was heard from some spectators, making Ino's blood boil. ''Red, Blue, White and Violet, all respectively taking part in the battles of weapons, fists, Jutsu and spirit! Which reminds me, I have to let you in on some details.''

''Each battle, is a tournament itself. A total of twenty four are participating in each, and they will all have to fight against each other, and the against each other again and again, until only one, sole gladiator remains. That means, that only four will ascend to the most glorious of battles, The Brawl!" After another set of cheering and clapping, the man continued.

''At last, let's lay down some rules. Each contestant is to defeat their opponent by only using their appointed skill, which means... Only weapons, only hand-to-hand combat, only Ninjutsu, and only Mind Jutsu! Another simple thing... injuries are allowed, but killing is not. Anyone who disobeys, will suffer the consequences. Touch the surrounding wooden wall, and you are considered out of bounds. I have nothing left to say. Let the Battle of Weapons begin! Everyone but our two first fighters, Bull and Sun, please resume to your earlier positions.''

Matches upon matches, injured contestants, angry masters, yodeling crowds. It didn't take long for Team Hai to realize that the audience was placing bets on them, either. Lords and commoners placed their money on the gladiator they thought would win the match, or even the battle-therefore making it to the Brawl. Pouches of coins started getting passed around, and if it weren't for some guard, a second battle field would have been created in the bleachers.

The first member of the Konohagakure ninja to participate, was Tenten, despite her fight being a little late. ''And now, for the last match of the first round... Sen and Red, come forth!"

''Remember, you don't have to drag the fight out. Our main aim is to finish them quickly, so just focus on making them touch the fence. That'll get them out of bounds.'' Gurehai advised her comrades, and gave Tenten an encouraging pat on the back. The girl ran off, her brown eyes smiling, as always.

All four Kunoichi had left their head bands at Mihime's house, as to not cause any fuss. Gurehai also left behind her Chunin vest and Aoyo crest cloak, settling for only her black shorts and tank top, that made her snow white hair stand out even more.

''Begin!" The command came after the two opponents had barely stood opposite of each other.

''I'm gonna nail your pretty clothes on the wall!" The grown man cackled, pulling out two senbon in each of his hands. Tenten merely raised her eyebrow, and, a puff of smoke later, a chain staff twirled in her hands, making gasps echo throughout the crowd.

''I interject!" A man screamed, waving his fan around. Obviously being Sen's master, he pointed at Tenten accusingly.''She used a scroll! Only weapons are allowed!"

''Then I interject to your interjection!" A louder voice came from nearly the other side of the arena, and Ushima stood up as well, crossing his muscular arms over his chest. ''The presenter said that only weapons are allowed, _in order to defeat the opponent_. As long as she doesn't use the scroll itself against him, then's she's clean! Isn't that right, presenter?"

The man had to turn his confused gaze towards the Feudal Lord, who gave a sharp nod in return. ''The Feudal Lord agrees. Continue the match!"

And the match continued, with Sen's senbon all deflected, and the weights on the ends of Tenten's chains hitting him in the face. He was thrown directly on the wooden fence, knocking himself out in the process. Everyone was speechless. And then, everyone clapped. 

Slowly, from the remaining 12, only 3 remained. It was no surprise that the brunette was among them. The presenter later announced that since there were three of them left, the last match in order to determine who would advance to the Brawl, was going to be a small battle royal. The one out of the three that would manage to best his opponents, would be the winner.

Tenten reentered the arena with confidence, as she had completely wiped the floor with her previous opponents.

Things however turned out to be more complicated, when the other two contestants, Spirit and Ken, seemed to join forces against the girl. Ken was a lean young man with a _very _long golden beard, who used twin axes. Spirit, on the other hand... he was a mystery. He wore shiny silver and black armor, reminding Gurehai of a samurai, and wore a similar helmet. His posture was straight, he handled his many weapons with extreme efficiency, and his speed was remarkable. 

At first glance, the Aoyo had no doubt that her teammate had them. She carried many scrolls, and was a trained shinobi. But, all that, unfortunately didn't help her out against the furious Ken... when she cut off his beard.

The intricately braided hair hit the ground with a soft thud, and the entire arena froze. Tenten stood a few feet away, holding the staff close to her, with its chains dangling from her hand. Spirit seemed to halt for a moment, watching his blonde opponent slowly look down at his pride and joy. Then he charged at the Kunoichi again, blades clashing.

She caught his blade with the chain, but he forced his hand backwards, ripping the weapon off her hands, and into the wood behind them. In that moment of panic, Spirit surprisingly side stepped to the right and rolled to the side. Before the girl had time to register what he had done, Ken's ferocious growl sent goosebumps across her skin, as he came at her with his axe pointing forward.

The ninja gasped but kept her cool, jumping up. Suddenly, the older man was below her, his dark eyes widening. Next thing he knew, Tenten stepped on his extended axe, making him stumble forward, and then do a single flip, and kick the back of his head with her heel.

The axe-wielder's body was slammed on the fence, face first. The weapon fell from his hand, and then, so did he, on the ground.

_That was the coolest thing I've ever seen another girl do, _Gurehai smiled at her teammate, who landed effortlessly on her feet. _I guess their entire team has a thing for Taijutsu, _she concluded, thinking back at what she had seen both Lee and Neji do.

''HELL YES!'' Ushima bellowed, shooting up from his seat, with a tiny Mihime on his shoulder. ''Go Te-RED!'' He saved it, pumping his fist in the air. Next to him, Asano kept his face hidden, but the large grin on his face couldn't go unnoticed. Many people exclaimed in joy too. After her first two matches, the girl had gained many supporters, and so, many bets were placed in her favor.

The brunette smiled widely at the crowd, before being forced to focus back on the battle by her now only opponent, whose twin katanas danced her way. The fight was back on, and now the spectators seemed to be split in two large groups; The master and supporters of Spirit, and the master and supporters of Red.

_She can do it, _Gure chanted in her mind, from her spot with Ino and Hinata at her sides. Contestants eren't allowed to watch the matches of their fellow battle participants, so they wouldn't know the techniques they used. But, the remaining members of Team Hai _could_ watch, and they made sure to encourage their comrade.

Tenten now pulled out another, larger scroll and tossed it in the air, making smoke enfold her. Spirit halted, suspiciously waiting for her next move. Then, she finally appeared, wielding her own sword. She gripped it with both hands and got into her fighting stance, charging first at the samurai.

She seemed to be managing well blocking and avoiding both of her opponents blades, achieving a few smart hits, disorientating him. And then, when she found an obvious opening, she flipped her weapon, thrusted the pommel towards his stomach...

...and was met with thin air.

She was barely able to raise her gaze upwards, were Spirit now was, foot sticking out in order to kick her. She quickly raised her weapon and the dull side of it was met with his boot, forcing him away. Next, she parried the hit of his left katana, and ducked to avoid the right one. Sweat had started glistening on her forehead.

_Impossible... Is he growing faster? How can that be? And he's not giving her any chance to fight back... Tenten... do your best._

Her best, was unfortunately not enough. The metal was growing heavier and heavier in her hand, and her opponent now seemed to keep a steady, fast paced combination of movements. In the end... he had her backing away, closer and closer to the wooden fence.

''Don't let that iron-clad idiot get you, RED!" Ino cupped her hands in front of her mouth, urging her friend on. Tenten winced as another hit made her wrist ache, and let go of her sword. It felt with a clang on the ground next to her, as one of Spirit's katanas came to hover just a centimeter away from her neck. Her brown hair was touching the fence, and her ragged breaths she took made her chest rise and fall violently.

''It is over.'' The presenter's voice rose above the audience's ruckus, and Tenten's knees buckled. 

''Spirit advances to THE BRAWL!"


	39. Fists, Jutsu, Mind- The Brawl

Hinata, much like Tenten, was assigned to her first battle near the end of round one. Her opponent, another man named Iron, was forced to take off his brass knuckles, growled impatiently as the presenter ordered him to do so.

''I don't think you are allowed to use Byakugan, Hinata.'' Gurehai glimpsed at the crowd, spotting their party. Ino had left a minute ago to see were they had taken Tenten, and tell her were they'd be. ''But that doesn't't really matter. Over the years, you probably have memorized the location of the chakra points, and even if you haven't, I don't have a single doubt you'll win. Even if there are other ninja here, no one can go against a Hyuga and win, unless they're a hyperactive blonde knucklehead. I learned that from your cousin.''

''I-I'll d-do my best, Gurehai-s-san!" The girl answered, determined to keep her promise.

''Our last contestants for round one! IRON AND BLUE!" The man hollered, and several male cries came from the place Iron's master was seated. From their side, Asano and Mihime clapped, while Ushima pumped his fist in the air.

''START!"

In that instant, Iron launched himself at the considerably shorter girl, fist raised. Everyone held their breath, as he came closer and closer.

The speed with which Hinata sidestepped out of the way was ridiculous. And then, before Iron had the chance to blink twice, the Hyuga's palm collided with his chin, forcing it upwards.

''The win goes to BLUE! OUR GIRLS ARE ON FIRE!"

Just like with Red, Hinata attracted gamblers and had bets placed on her like crazy. People cheered, masters growled in frustration, and ended up rooting for the enemy, just so they could at least gain something in the event. In his arms, besides a laughing Mihime, Ushima also held various pouches with coins.

Matches began and matches ended, with the Hyuga heiress coming victorious with little effort. _I was worrying for nothing, _Gurehai realized, watching with a smile as her subordinate ascended to the finals, against Wind and Fist. _Tenten may have not passed to the Brawl, but Hinata definitely will. After her, it's my turn. Some wealthier masters may have hired ninja, Chunin ninja, or higher... But we have one person... and there's also Yamanaka..._

The blue haired girl ended up slamming both her small palms against her opponents chests, and sent them flying out of bounds. She got out of her fighting stance and inhaled deeply, trying to control her breathing, that had gotten out of hand due to her stress. She was met with multiple cheering and clapping, as the presenter's words could barely be heard over the noise.

''The match is over! Blue advances to the Brawl!"

Receiving a pat in the back and a hug from Gure and Ino respectively, the Genin was off to sit with their company, which now also included Tenten. Grandma switched from sitting on her grandson's shoulder to Asano's lap, and Hinata took her spot, with the weapon user next to her. As they were seated in the last row of the wooden auditorium, that wasn't a problem.

The people who organized the whole thing seemed to understand that all all members of the team were probably the best fighters, and so they kept on arranging their matches to be last, in order to make the crowd anxious. Gurehai heard people panting and announcing the names of their Jutsu, and the presenter constantly commenting on the winners, the losers and the next matches. And then finally, it was her turn.

''For the last match of the first round! Welcome Fox, and White!" At the sound of the last name, the spectators cheered a little louder. Gurehai entered the arena slowly, and felt her opponent bump his shoulder on hers as he rushed by. She refrained from rolling her blue eyes and kept on going, moving to stand in the center of the arena.

Her opponent was a bit further away, bowing his head at his master and grinning at the crowd, urging them to cheer. He only turned to take his place and look at her when the presenter's voice rang throughout the stadium.

''BEGIN!" And then, Fox finally took a look at her face, and froze.

Silence fell over the crowd and gladiators, making the Feudal Lord and the princess frown. Just as someone was about to shout and protest for the hold up, Fox unexpectedly fell on his butt, muttering incoherent things with wide eyes.

''C-C-Chu-chu-chun...in...'' His teeth chattered, and his thin finger rose to point at her shakily. Her white eyebrows furrowed, but her face hardened when she identified him.

His long hair was tied back in a low ponytail, unlike the first time they had met. He also looked like he had been living in better condition, for his face didn't look so dirty and old anymore.

_She was fighting him, deflecting his hits. But then Kuro grabbed Tsubaki and yelled for his men to retreat, and he got away by kicking her in the back of the knee...So... he wasn't dead, like all the others..._

''CHUNIN!" He finally screamed, his voice cracking. He itched away from her, supporting himself upright with his hands. _He's terrified, _Gurehai noted, seeing the gleam in his eyes. _He was there when I killed Kuro... and the rest of the bandits. _

''Boo.'' The Aoyo said in a monotonous voice, creating tiny sparks between the fingers of her right hand.

''AAAAHHH!" The ex-bandit shrieked at the top of his lungs, backing away using his heels and palms. When his back finally hit the wooden fence, he scrambled to stand up, and then jumped over it, running away. _I don't worry about him committing any more crimes._

''Eh...It seems like Fox is out of bounds...'' The presenter mumbled, uncertain. ''White wins!" The girl herself ignored the joyful cries of the spectators and glanced at the spot were her company was seated, before turning around and strutting towards the gladiator waiting space.

Her second battle, with a middle aged man called Hare, didn't last any longer, either. He used a Fuuton Jutsu, the force of which would surely knock her back several feet. She reacted quickly, creating a Mud Wall. The wind managed to detach some chunks out of it, but then Gurehai emerged from behind it, spitting a Water Bullet from her mouth.

The water hit him square in the chest, wetting his clothes...but only that. Hare laughed, looking down at himself in confusion. The audience itself seemed startled for a second, wondering if they had placed their bets on the wrong person. But then, the Aoyo raised her hands and began weaving signs. The water seemed to have a will of its own, as it traveled upwards, gathering around Hare's throat.

''Suiton: Water Bubble.'' The girl announced, and the liquid created a dome around the man's head, covering both his mouth and nose. Everyone gasped, and Hare quickly moved his hands up to his face, trying not to inhale, and to make the water go away. He ended up hitting the ground with his palm, a sign he was giving up. After that, no one even dared to doubt her victory.

The finals came soon after, with her facing two opponents, just like her teammates before her. Phoenix and Winner stepped inside the arena along with her, and, by just looking at their eyes, she could already tell they had formed an alliance to take her down first.

Phoenix, just like his name implied, was a Katon user. Fireballs of every shape and size came her way every few couple of seconds, while Winner, who was a Doton user, like herself, attacked her in between with Rock Fists. _Fire is weak against Water, and Earth is weak against Lightning. If I get the chance to do what I've planned, then this match will be a child's play._

Her chance came soon after, when Phoenix blew hit flames towards her face. Instead of dodging and preparing for Winner's attack, like she had been previously doing, she raised a Mud Wall from the ground below, effectively blocking both assaults. The fire hit the stone, and smoke covered the entire arena.

The spectators closed their eyes shut and gasped, unable to stand the burning. But, when the smoke cleared, a single, simultaneous cry of victory rang in everybody's ears.

Both men were being held up against the fence by the neck, with a rocky material wrapped around them. Its source was the hands of two white haired Earth Clones, that had transformed into Rock Fists. The real one stood many feet away, in the middle of the Mud Wall's ruins.

''THE MATCH IS OVER!" The entire crowd hollered loudly at the words. ''WHITE ADVANCES TO THE BRAWL!'' With that, Gurehai let the Clones disperse, and turned around to walk away with her hair whipping around her.

But, as soon as she got past the arena's wooden gates, she collapsed.

\----

Her eyes opened after what seemed like a blink, and the blurry veil of sleepiness dissipated to reveal a bare room. She was lying down, dressed in her earlier clothes. Outside, somewhere in the distance, numerous voices were yelling and cheering. _The tournament. Is the battle of spirit over? The Brawl..._

''Gurehai?" Tenten's voice came from her right, and she carefully turned her head towards that direction. Indeed, the brunette was there, currently standing up from her seat to get close to her. ''You're okay, aren't you? What happened? Everybody went crazy when you just fell on the ground like that!"

''I fell...on the ground?" She questioned, simultaneously trying to remember the exact turn of events.

''Yes! Right after your finals were over, you collapsed! You've been out for almost two hours now!'' 

''No way... Two hours? What about the tournament? What about Ya-Ino? Her matches?" The white haired Kunoichi shook her head, now completely understanding what had happened.

''Ino... Ino lost.'' The weapon user admitted with a sigh. ''In the second round, too. I've been with you for a while now, but I imagine she must be wrecked.''

''Who was she up against?|

''His name is Shuu. From what I heard from some people that passed by, he's in the same team as Spirit, from the battle of weapons. He's also in the finals, that are currently being conducted. If he wins, then it'll be them against you and Hinata... two teams competing for the princess's hand.''

_Two halves of two teams... They have Mind Jutsu and weapons, we have Ninjutsu and a Gentle Fist user... I probably shouldn't be cocky, especially when I don't know what kind of Jutsu Shuu used to come this far... I'll have to meet up with Hinata and Yamanaka and get them to describe his battle style to me._

''Shall we head back to the arena? I have a feeling that the finals are nearly over, and I have to do something before the Brawl begins. I also need to see Hinata. She's still with Asano-san, isn't she?"

They found the remnants of Team Hai sitting in the bleachers, along with their client and his family. Gurehai made sure to put her best leader face on, and keep her eyes sharp. ''Gurehai! What happened? Are you okay, able to fight?"

''I am completely fine. I was just hit by a Jutsu, either Phoenix or Winner's. Turns out they weren't just using Elemental Jutsu. Must have been a Paralysis one, that caught me off guard. Anyway... Ino, I want you to come with me.'' The blonde girl turned to face her with a surprised expression, and the Aoyo saw the defeated hidden underneath.

''Whatever.''

The two walked further and further away from the arena, somewhere near the food stands. Behind them, the presenter's words were clear: Shuu had advanced to the Brawl.

''What is it? Are you going to scold me? Report my failure to Tsunade-sama? Rub the fact you advanced and I didn't to my face? That's it, huh? Just like the Chunin Exams?" The Yamanaka immediately rambled, fists clenched tightly against her sides. _So that's how she felt after my promotion?_

''If that's how you feel, then I'm afraid I can't to anything to help you.'' She commented, not changing her facial expression. ''I obviously wanted you to tell me what kind of Mind Jutsu Shuu used against you, so that I can find a way for me and Hinata to counter it.''

''Wh-what? You...y-you're not...?"

''Upset? Angry? Disappointed? Bitter? Satisfied? No, I'm just frustrated. If he could counter your clan's secret Jutsu, then that probably means he uses one with a longer range, that can also expand in more than one directions. Meaning, more difficult to protect yourself against. Also meaning, a pain in the ass, since me and Hinata won't have anyone to watch our backs.''

''Have... your... backs?" The Yamanaka gaped again, staring at her teammate with an unreadable expression.

''Obviously.'' Gurehai replied, trying to rest her hand on the loops of her vest out of habit, and failing. ''It would have been a lot easier with you on the Brawl, and it would have been even simpler if Tenten had made it, too, since the win would have been instantaneous, and there would be no reason for the Brawl to be conducted. But what's done is done. Why would I complain, since you did what was asked of you? The mission is not over yet. And even if it was, and we had failed, then the failure would be on my shoulders. Not yours.''

Ino just stood there for a while, silent, with her fists clenched. Finally, she looked up, avoiding the Chunin's ice blue eyes. 

''I didn't really know myself what happened, either. I had kicked up dirt from the ground to blur his vision, so that my chakra strings could reach him and wrap around his legs, like I had done in the first round... But he suddenly disappeared from in front of me, and when I blinked, I found myself pressing my palm against the fence. Tenten and the others told me that just as I had raised my arms to perform the Mind Transfer Jutsu, I stood up straight and backed away towards the wall.''

_The way that sounds, he probably mind controlled her. She made her throw herself out of bounds, without a fight. The question is... How did he do it? _

''Alright. I'll have to meet up with Hinata next. From what I hear, there will be just a small break until the Brawl begins. We have to discuss battle tactics.'' 

''Wait.'' Ino suddenly exclaimed, before the white haired Kunoichi could walk away from her. ''Why...'' She whispered, her orbs still focused on the ground. ''Why... why are you like this?"

''Excuse me?"

''Why are you like this? Acting this way? Is this some kind of... some kind of humorous act you like to hold up, or-or just the way you are forced to behave as a Chunin?'' _Is that... is that a sob, threatening to escape her? _''Get angry at me, punish me, yell, tease, brag, do SOMETHING!'' She raised her head, her eyes shimmering with emotion, her fists clenched harder than before. _This isn't about the mission._ ''Give me a reaction, damn it! D-Do you expect me to believe that I don't bother you? That what I've done doesn't bother you? You are calm... you should be so calm and collected around me! You-you are supposed to hate me for all these years of bullying! Sakura... you aren't like this with Sakura! She happened to tell me about that day, back in the Hospital, with... with S-Sasuke... what you told her, after she found you with your mother...'' Her voice cracked. ''You are pushing _her _away, and she's in your Team! So why are you so civil with me!"

''You aren't the source of my problems.'' Gurehai stated, after a few seconds of just staring at her in the eyes. Ino was taken aback. ''You were, back in the Academy. But not anymore. As for Sakura... you kind of said it yourself. She happened to tell you about that day? She let you in on my secret, my mother's condition. That's why I can't trust her. If I'm being honest, I still am holding a grudge against her, for bullying me.''

''Exactly! Why not me? I was the one who started it!"

''You were seven. I know, she was seven too. I can justify a kid for being jealous of another kid, jealous of their skills, their abilities. Don't deny it. That's what you originally did what you did. But she basically followed your views because she was also jealous of _you_, and tried to stick to your side and make you accept her, without having a will and opinion of her own. I can justify that for a seven-year-old, too. But if she was mature and serious enough in the years to come, in order to realize what she was doing was wrong, that it hurt someone else, she would have stopped it. But she went on, and you continued too, as to not fall in her eyes.''

''Still-...''

''Don't interrupt me.'' The Aoyo snapped, and Ino shut her mouth. ''The two of us were seperated after graduation, so I don't know how much you've grown. But up until the Chunin Exams, and for a while after that, I was with Sakura everyday. She didn't change her attitude towards me. Not even when I saved her life. So it's going to take a long while, and a proper, genuine apology for me to consider forgiving her. I won't lie to you. It feels good to be above her. It feels good to think that she has to watch Gurehai, whose name she so generously altered, from behind. And so, like I said, you're not the source of my problems.'' She sighed and looked at the sky. About two more hours for nightfall.

''Besides... You and Shikamaru are friends, and if he feels he can rely on you, then I know he values you. That lazy pineapple-head is a good friend and comrade, and I respect him. Since he obviously stays around you because he wants to, then you are a person worth staying around.'' The Aoyo turned away after that, heading for the arena. ''I'll see you later. I have some battle plans to make.''

\----

''The wait is over, everyone! Our four fighters have been selected! The Brawl is about to begin! Who, I repeat who, will win the hand of our princess? Will it be the Shadow Lord, represented by White and Blue? Come forth, ladies!" Gurehai and Hinata entered the arena for the umpteenth time that day, and stood in the middle.

Looking around, they could see that many men from the crowd, obviously the earlier prospective husbands, had left the vicinity in defeat. The Aoyo didn't blame them. What kind of already defeated person would stay to watch his prize being snatched away from someone else? Now, the audience consisted of mainly citizens of the Land of Rivers, waiting to see who their princess would be married off to.

The princess herself, was a sight for sore eyes. Although she was seated, it was obvious that her hair was abnormally long. The shining dark blue locks were pulled up in a variety of buns and braids, with decorated senbon sticking out from here and there, silver charms hanging from their tips. Her face, slightly covered by a thin white veil, was pale and smooth, making her dark azure eyes pop out even more. She wore white and green garbs, and held her posture straight.

''Or will it be the mysterious master of Spirit and Shuu, who has yet to reveal his name to us? Gentlemen, come forth!" The armor-clad Spirit, and the green haired Shuu stepped inside the fighting pit as well, looking at their opponents. ''Let the Brawl...BEGIN!"

The samurai immediately launched himself at Gurehai, with both his katana blades raised. Seeing him coming, she extended her hand and snapped the Rock Spear that had protruded off the ground. Their weapons clashed with a thud, and Gurehai could swear she heard a small gasp coming from her opponent.

_He thought he rock would break from either the sharpness of the swords or by the pressure... and, now that I look at him up close, he seems rather short, too... Could he be a teenager, like me?_

''How old are you, Spirit?" She asked, surprising the samurai, who struggled to deflect her next blow. He slashed at her with his right katana, and she ducked, kicking his ankles. With his feet swept off from underneath him, Spirit fell backwards, but turned his fall into a flip. The moment his feet were supposed to hit the ground, which was also the moment the Kunoichi had thrusted her Spear upwards at him to hit his head, never came. He vanished, making the girl quickly stand up and get into her battle stance.

He reappeared many feet behind her, near the wooden fence. He was panting. Near him, Hinata had thrown herself at Shuu, her palm drawn back.

''Gentle Fist!" She exclaimed, her middle and index finger extending to hit him between the shoulder and the collarbone. Gurehai turned her head towards her teammate, just in time to see Shuu smirk. Hinata's fingers made contact with his skin, and he stumbled back, both he and the Hyuga stopping simultaneously.

The Aoyo frowned, stealing the seconds that Spirit was taking to recover in order to watch her friend. _Why is she just standing there like that, motionless? What happened to her? He smirked... Don't tell me..._

**I had kicked up dirt from the ground to blur his vision, so that my chakra strings could reach him and wrap around his legs, like I had done in the first round.... Tenten and the others told me that just as I had raised my arms to perform the Mind Transfer Jutsu, I stood up straight and backed away towards the wall....**

_She used chakra strings... and she..._

''No, Hinata!" She cried, making for the Hyuga. Her movements were cut short by Spirit, who swung his katana at the back of her shoulders. She barely had time to lower her body, and the blade cut off some white hairs, and let them float in the air before falling down.

The spectators gasped and cheered and yelled, but the girl only heard her Team and Ushima, urging her to not give up, and for Hinata to snap out of her trance. She used the back of her palm to push the dull side of Spirit's katana away, and extended her other hand towards him. 

''Raiton: Storm Cu-...'' The lightning didn't even have time to leave her body, when she felt a sudden pressure in her forearm. The chakra flow in her had got disturbed and the lightning that had managed to escape her exploded, forcing her to close her eyes and skid back a few feet. When the dust settled, and she opened her eyes, she saw Spirit defensively holding his swords in an x formation in front of him...

...And Hinata, in the fighting stance Gurehai always remembered Neji using, training her pale eyes at her. Behind them, in a safe distance, Shuu stood motionless, his brown orbs never leaving the back of the Hyuga's head.

''Damn it.'' Guehai cursed under her breath, glancing back and forth between her opponents. _Shuu's controlling Hinata, just like he did with Ino... but he's using her against me, instead of making her touch the fence and go out of bounds. That's smart of him, indeed... Spirit on his own can't defeat me, and Shuu is dead weight as far as combat is concerned... But now I'm at disadvantage... How can I use Jutsu without harming Hinata?_

She didn't have much time to contemplate further, as both her opponent and her teammate came at her with quick movements. After a frustrating routine of dodging Hinata's hits, deflecting Spirit's swords and simultaneously doing both, the girl started feeling that the breaths she took weren't enough. And then, the opportunity came.

The fact that the samurai's left side and arm were weaker didn't go unnoticed by the Chunin. His responses were slower, the power with which he swung weaker. So, when he thrusted his left hand forward, to slice her sides, she raised her foot and fearlessly stepped on the katana, pinning his hand for a second, and making him bow down. But, that second, was all she needed.

She proceeded to force her torso backwards, out of the way of Hinata's palm, that was aiming for the chakra points of her left arm. The Hyuga's chakra-enfolded hand found Spirit's head, and sent him flying.

With a loud 'clang', the sword wielder and his helmet fell separately on the ground, with the first rolling several times before coming to a stop. There wasn't even one spectator that didn't gasp when Spirit finally used his arms to sit up. A waterfall of light brown hair had escaped the prison of the helmet, and now flowed freely. As a pair of feminine golden eyes looked up to glare at her, Gurehai heard the princess's voice for the first time.

''Asaki?"


	40. Departure- Farewell My Friend

_With a loud 'clang', the sword wielder and his helmet fell separately on the ground, with the first rolling several times before coming to a stop. There wasn't even one spectator that didn't gasp when Spirit finally used his arms to sit up. A waterfall of light brown hair had escaped the prison of the helmet, and now flowed freely. As a pair of feminine golden eyes looked up to glare at her, Gurehai heard the princess's voice for the first time._

_''Asaki?"_

The crowd exploded in a wind whirl of surprised cries, and somewhere among them, Asano abruptly stood up, fixing his own golden eyes at the fighter. Managing to not exclaim in shock, and not reveal his face, he clenched his jaw and sat back down, surrounded by his confused companions.

''I'm sorry, my Princess.'' The girl's unexpectedly soft voice said, as she slowly got up from her position on the ground. ''I'm sorry I kept it a secret... I'm sorry...'' She mumbled again and again, picking up the sword lying closer to her. 

_Asaki? The princess called her... Asaki? That's the name of Asano's..._

''I'm not going to let her be married off to the bastard you're working for!" Asaki then yelled at Gurehai, pointing her weapon at her. ''I will win! I will win, and let her choose someone she loves!" With that, she charged at her, tears blurring her vision.

_Even she has no idea what her brother has planned. She must have gathered people to fight with her, so she could win and give the princess the opportunity to request who she marries if she won. Noble of her... but I can't set the mission aside for sentimentalities._

With her eyes harder than before, the Aoyo decided to stop holding back, and finish everything quickly. She didn't know what Shuu was planning to do with her teammate, but whatever the case, she had to snap her out of her trance. And so, when Asaki raised both her arms to bring her katana down, Gurehai jumped up, kicking the blade violently out of her hands. The brunette gasped at the action, her following hesitation giving the Chunin an bigger advantage.

_I shouldn't hurt her, especially when Asano didn't know about her entry, and probably doesn't want any harm to come to her. So..._

''Doton: Head Hunter Jutsu!" She exclaimed, as she sank swiftly on the ground, grabbing her opponent's ankle in the process. Asaki screamed and shut her eyes in fear, but reopened them cautiously when she felt no pain. 

Now faced with Gurehai's feet, she realized her entire body had been buried in the soil. The Aoyo knelt down next to her and brushed the brown hair that had fallen in front of her eyes away, giving her a full field of vision.

''The bastard I'm working for, you say?" She questioned, standing back up. Pausing for a moment, she saw Hinata coming at her again. ''I don't think your brother deserves such harsh words.'' She finally commented, and ran off to guide the Hyuga away from her head, sticking out of the ground.

She had to be very careful with the Byakugan user. Even though her Dojutsu wasn't activated, due to Shuu's apparent lack of knowledge of it, her fingers were still dangerous. Gurehai had to keep evading and dodging all of her attacks, because, if she tried to deflect and ended up having her chakra points closed, she'd be in a serious disadvantage, and in a position unable to perform Jutsu. 

After a frustrating, minute-long dance sequence of jumping, ducking and sidestepping, the white haired Kunoichi decided it was time to try to snap her out of it by herself, seeing as it was impossible for her to get close to Shuu without pushing Hinata away or risk hurting her.

''Hinata!" She called for her comrade. ''Shake him off! Fight him, not me! He's just messing with your head!" She tried, getting the smallest of responses from the girl. Her lavender eyes, previously clouded over and glassy, now widened, somewhat regaining their shine.

_If only I had Neji's Byakugan right now... Wait... Neji? That's it!_

''Come on, Hinata! What would Neji say if he saw you like this?" She raised her voice, so that even Tenten and the others heard, all the way up to the bleachers. The change was immediate. Hinata's palm, about to collide with Gurehai's chest, froze mid air, inches away from her skin. And then, an inner battle seemed to take place. The short haired girl shook her head and blinked rapidly, before letting her hands fall on her sides, and eventually taking in a few ragged breaths.

''Gurehai-s-san?" She whispered, as Shuu rushed to get up from the other end of the arena, staring at them with beads of sweat running down his temples. ''I-I don't remember... H-He controlled m-me?''

''It's okay, Hinata.'' The Chunin assured her subordinate, eyes never leaving their last opponent. ''No harm was done. You also needn't feel sorry. No one could have known how he uses his technique. He needs to come in contact with his victim's chakra, or chakra flow. That's what happened with Ino and her chakra strings, and with your Gentle Fist.''

''A-And Spirit?" She questioned, slightly frowning.

''I managed to immobilize our samurai. She won't be able to move unless I undo my Jutsu, so let's just focus on Shuu for now.''

''S-She?" 

''Like I said, don't worry.'' Gurehai said again, squinting her blue orbs at the green haired man. Well, man was a way to put it. He looked younger than Asano, and Asano couldn't be older than twenty, so the best way to describe him would be the word 'boy'. _He either teamed up with Asaki because he's her friend, or her... dear friend. _

''I... I yield.'' The boy suddenly called, backing away, and touching the wooden fence.

''NO! What are you doing, Mana?" Asaki shouted from her spot, revealing Shuu's name in the process. 

''I know what I'm doing, trust me!" The boy smiled, glancing at Hinata. ''You'll thank me later.'' _He knows about our mission and who our master is, _the Aoyo figured. _It was all in Hinata's head, after all. _

''SPIRIT IS UNABLE TO MOVE! SHUU HAS SURRENDERED, AND IS OUT OF BOUNDS! THE BRAWL IS OVER, WHITE AND BLUE WIN!" A loud uproar pierced everyone's ears, as the crowd stood up at once and cheered-for their successful bets, and the outcome, of course- while the presenter tried to get everyone to shut up for his last, dramatic comment. ''And now, it's time for the winner to show his face! Shadow Lord, where are you?''

Before the man had even finished his sentence, Asano's hooded figure had jumped down from the bleachers, and ran all the way up to Gurehai and Hinata, hugging them tightly around the neck. He pressed their bodies on either side of him, burying his face between their heads. The words 'thank you' fell off his lips like a mantra the entire time, and then he let them go with the widest of smiles on his lips, to join his sister, who had been released by the Aoyo. When the two hugged as well, and made their way to the princess and her father, Hinata turned to see Tenten and Ino had joined her and their leader.

''Everything turned out just fine in the end, huh?" Tenten mused, watching as the princess placed her hand in Asano's, who was getting congratulated by his family.

''What can I say? Mission, accomplished. We should stop by Mihime's house, and get our things.'' Gurehai gave a small smile as well, before turning around to leave quietly, with the Genin on her trail. 

''Let's go home, Team Hai.''

\----

The way back to Konoha consisted of friendly quarrels between Tenten and Ino, and occasional interruption by Hinata, pleading them not to bicker. The stopped once for the night, and Ino offered to take watch by herself, then being replaced by the brunette Bukijutsu user. Gurehai was left to rest in either case, but she didn't comment on that. 

The following day, the four girls were up on their feet early, quite a few miles past the border of the Land of Fire. Their pace was steady, and their path clear, aside from some merchants they encountered. So, when Gurehai heard quick footsteps approaching, and Ino sensed them, much less two pairs of them, they became alert.

''Hinata?" The Chunin called, and the Hyuga took the message. Activating her Byakugan, the girl didn't stop moving. 

''T-two males. T-their chakra signatures show they are ninja...'' The short girl hesitated, giving her leader the impression something was wrong.

''...They are exactly the same. Their chakra signatures, I mean.'' Ino answered instead, resulting to the Aoyo holding back a chuckle. ''They are exactly the same!"

''Don't worry, everyone. They're certainly not a threat.'' She assured her teammates, signaling with her hand for them to come to a halt. ''They're probably here to annoy me.'' She added, with no irritated expression on her face, whatsoever. As cue, a mop of coal black hair appeared among the trees, followed by an identical one.

''Oi, cousin!" A familiar voice shouted, as a cloaked young man came to a stop in front of the blue eyed Chunin. ''Finally, we found you. We were totally going to get it by your Hokage if we didn't inform you about the blonde's departure, while we could.''

''Hello to you too, Ni. So happy to see you after three weeks, as well. And no, don't worry about disturbing me during my Chunin duties. Ramble on for as long as you like.'' The sarcasm rolled off her tongue effortlessly, without her voice changing a tone. 

''Huh?" The older Aoyo frowned, somewhat disappointed. ''How could you tell I was Ni? You aren't supposed to be able to tell us apart!" He accused, just as his brother reached the group.

''Of course she can tell it's you, idiot. You are always obnoxiously loud, while I have to trail after you, apologizing for your sake. Which I have to do, once again. Forgive him ladies, for barging in your mission like this, and for not greeting you, as well. I am Gureichi, and this is my brother Gureni. We are Gurehai's cousins. Which reminds me... I'm also sorry for interrupting you, but we were told your mission was over. We're here to tell you something.''

''The blonde's departure? What did Ni mean by that?" She asked, oblivious to Tenten's blush, and Ino's even heavier one. ''Who's leaving?"

''It's your teammate, the Uzumaki. The Hokage has granted the sannin Jiraiya permission to take him on a training journey. The red clouds are involved. She said you'd understand.'' Ichi explained, resulting to his cousin's face to contort into a semi-surprised expression. 

_Jiraiya and Naruto are leaving... And the Akatsuki... I get it. He has to train, in order to be ready, if they come after him again. But then... What about me? Is that what they are here for? To tell me I have to hurry up, and get back in time to leave with them?_

''She also said you'd probably like to see them off, and say your farewells. Nobody knows how long they'll be away for.'' Ni added, solemnly. ''It's a good thing your mission is over. They must be gathering at the gates right about now. Will you come?" 

Gurehai's earlier assumptions about the situation suddenly took a different turn, and she didn't know if she was relieved or not. _I won't be joining them, then. _She turned to look at her subordinates, who stared back at her simply.

''I don't suppose you are tired, eh? Let's pick up the pace, girls.'' And with that, the three Aoyos and the three Genin, made their way towards Konoha, faster than before.

And that's how a while later, the gates of the Hidden Leaf came into their line of vision, with two small figures standing tall in the center of them. _Naruto and Jiraiya, _Gurehai figured, turning to glance at her companions. She had voluntarily ignored the fact that the Yamanaka had been traveling a little too close to Ni, and now addressed her entire Team.

''The three of you can head home immediately. I'll deal with the mission report on my own, when I'm finished here. Once again, good job, everyone. Rest well.'' Her words secretly held demand and not simply suggestion, and the reason was obvious: she would have to probably mention the Akatsuki and the purpose of Naruto's departure upon her talk with the sannin, and, of course, she didn't want people she barely knew watch her live personal moments with her closest friends and family like that.

''Got it. Bye, Gurehai!" Tenten chirped, grabbing Ino's arm and taking her with her. _She knows I want them to leave. _

''Hinata, you should get some rest, too. Oh, and, tell Neji I said hi.'' The Chunin told her last subordinate, with a light pat on the back.

''Y-Yes, Gurehai-san!" She blushed, stealing an almost unnoticeable glance at Naruto's direction, who started waving his hand frantically around, trying to get her to notice him. She made her way towards her fellow Team 7 member, making him grin.

''And now that I'm here...'' She greeted, slowly approaching the unsuspecting blonde. When she reached him, she slapped her hand on the back of his head, and watched as he exclaimed in pain, and rubbed the sore spot. ''Naruto, you idiot! You were seriously going to leave without saying anything?" She scolded, her voice raising.

''I'm sorry, Gure-chan! Pervy Sage announced that we're leaving so suddenly, I barely had time to pack my things, ttebayo!" He apologized, his blue eyes showing his apology was genuine. ''Hit him! It was his fault!" And that's what exactly what she did a second later, making the Sannin hiss.

''You're lucky I finished my mission early.'' She stated, as a satisfied expression made its way on the Uzumaki's face. ''Didn't you know that I'd want to see you before you go, too? To at least say a 'farewell'?" Jiraiya pouted slightly, but quickly regained his composure.

''Forgive me, forgive me. But, as you've probably already been told, the matter is kind of urgent.'' He said the last part lower, and the girl's playful mood evaporated. Behind them, Naruto looked confused at the turn of the conversation, but Ichi and Ni skillfully butted in, commenting something along the lines of 'you've gotten shorter'. 

''Yes. Ichi and Ni came to me with Lady Fifth's words.'' She confirmed, looking up at the white haired man. ''So the red clouds are on the move for him? And, what about me? Is there anything you can tell me?"

''They aren't _currently _on the move, no. But they definitely will be at some point in the future, and by then, he needs to be as strong as possible, and have his power under control. It might take years.'' _The Nine Tailed Fox. _''As for you, I'll say that Tsunade has different plans for you, but the goal, is ultimately the same. Get stronger, in order to be able to stand up to them in the future.''

''I see.'' Gurehai finally breathed, averting her eyes. A few feet away, Naruto still bickered with the twins, who both stood at least a foot taller than him. ''Well then, I only have one thing to say...'' She said, a ghost of a smile on her lips. ''...Keep him safe, alright? I want him to come back home in one piece.''

''Will do.''

At last, she walked next to her friend. The frustrated blush in his face seemed to be permanent, as Ni laughed at his face. The girl rolled her eyes slightly and sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.

''Alright, alright, he got it, you're taller. No go stand next to Jiraiya, and look like 6-year-old Academy students.'' She waved her cousins off, who, indeed, barely reached the older man's shoulders. Begrudgingly, the duo did as told with sour expressions. ''Naruto...'' She started when they were left alone, the three other men now further away, leaning on the gate frame. ''...I already told Jiraiya, but... I want you to promise me you'll be careful. And that you'll listen to him, of course. I don't want to be assigned a recovery mission a few months from now, saying I have to rescue a blonde orange-clad knucklehead.''

''I promise, Gure-chan! But, you know, you should probably be telling me to keep an eye on him, too. Do you have any idea how often he will be sneaking off, to write those disgusting books of his?" He grimaced, already recalling past experiences.

''Well then, you'll have to take care of each other.'' She reconsidered, with a kind smile. The smile only he, after her lost ones, brought out. ''Now, listen to me.'' She gained his attention, her voice on an entirely different tone. ''I want you to train your ass off, you hear me? When you come back to Konoha, be sure I'll be there before anyone else, waiting to fight you. And I won't show you any mercy, so be warned!"

Naruto laughed in contentment, before sticking his thumb up in a pose. ''Of course I will, ttebayo! How else am I supposed to be come Hokage. And, I accept your challenge! Don't think I'll hold back because you're a girl!"

''You won't get a chance to hold back, idiot. And, do as I say, or you'll lose the advantage of calling me 'Gure-chan'! I'm taller than you, anyways. Should I start calling you 'Naruto-chan'?" The playful suggestion made the boy cringe, and shudder. ''Well then, I'll go ahead and promise something to you, as well.'' She suddenly grew serious, as always, and looked down at him with determination in her blue eye. ''When you return to the Village, I promise to have attained all five chakra Natures, and created my own Jutsu, as well. And believe me when I say that I never go back on my word, no matter the case.''

''Thank you, Gure-chan.'' Her eyes significantly widened when he suddenly rushed at her, wrapping his arms around her waist, and burying his face in the collar of her Chunin vest.

From their spot at the gate frame all those feet away, the Aoyo twins and the Toad Sage watched carefully the entire exchange wordlessly. They watched the two teammates smile, laugh and say farewell. Gureichi decided to break the silence, addressing the Sannin in front of him.

''How much longer will you be lying to her, old man?" He asked, a hint of irritation hidden beneath his somewhat casual tone. ''What have you told her, anyways?"

''That I am her godfather, Aoyo.'' The man replied, not tearing his eyes away from the teenagers. ''The question is, what have _you _told her?"

''Nothing, old man. It's not our place to tell her any lies, or reveal any truths to her, either. But don't ever think we will lie to her face, and trouble her further.'' Gureni said this time, arms crossed over his firm chest. Silence followed, the same as before, if not thicker. They watched, as the Uzumaki bid her farewell with a hug. 

And Gureni continued watching, as she hesitantly wrapped her bare arms around him, as well. Then, with a deep sigh, he started taking mental notes. He thought of Gurehai and the Sannin, who had his back turned to him and his brother. Their white hair, their fair skin, their tall and broad shouldered stature. 

''You knowyou'll never be _half _the father Soshimo was to her, don't you?'' Gureichi inquired, as if he was in his brother's mind and speculations, but not really expecting a response.

''Yes...'' Jiraiya's face fell, the sad smile on his lips remaining. ''...I know.''


	41. End Of Part I- Remember Me

**This is the last and very important chapter of Part I, so I want all of you to read carefully. If you don't pay attention to some details, you may have trouble following the story in Shippuuden.**

''Tsunade-sama informed me about your conflicting memories.'' Inoichi Yamanaka said, as he and Gurehai walked down the hallways of the Analysis Division. ''Could you tell me about them in detail?''

''In the memory I've always thought was real, me and my father are in a meadow. He showed me a Jutsu... then two men appeared, the Akatsuki. Father immediately told me to leave, and ran back to the Leaf. That's what I did. The way back... the way back is hazy. The next thing I remember, is waking up at my house. My right eye is hurt, stitched. They told me it was a splinter of wood.''

''And the other one? It surfaced when a Genjutsu went wrong, am I correct?" The Jonin asked, as they came to a halt in front of a door. 

''Yes. In that memory, after the Akatsuki appeared, I also ran away after my father's order.... but... I turned back, when I heard him scream.'' She frowned, trying not to miss anything. ''One of the Rogues was on the ground, dead. Father was badly injured himself. I got closer... the Akatsuki saw me... and when he came at me, father jumped in front of me, saving me. He fell down, dead. He attacked me again. In that memory, he was the one who injured my eye. After hurting me, someone dragged me away from him. Then, nothing. I must've passed out, and then it's the same as the original memory... I wake up at my house.''

''Can you tell me how your Genjutsu triggered this reaction? If what I'm suspecting is true, then... then your original memory is a fake, Gurehai.'' The man stated solemnly, looking down at her sadly.

''A... a fake? But why? How is that possible?"

''I'm not exactly sure, myself. But that's why I need you to tell me. There's a possibility... there's a possibility that either someone put those memories in your head, and sealed away the real ones, or they suppressed them and let your mind create an ideal situation, in which you are less traumatized.''

_This all... this all doesn't even make any sense! _The Aoyo inwardly cursed, looking away from the Jonin for a second. _Who would seal away my real memories? For what reason? _

''Kyokugomon uses the opponent's memories against them.'' She finally said. ''It enables me to find a person's worst memories, and morph them into a loop of their darkest fears. They eventually go mad, and their brain cells are burned. If it goes on for too long, they can even die. But I wasn't focused when I used it, due to a bad injury. It backfired, just like it did when I tested out its early stages. Along with the enemy's memories, I saw those of my own... but they didn't match with anything I've lived.''

''Then the pain you inflicted to yourself brought the memories to the surface, or broke the seal they were behind altogether.'' Inoichi concluded, opening the door of the room for her. ''I will enter your mind, and search for them. What do you want me to do, if I find a seal?"

''Break it, Yamanaka-san.'' Gurehai decided, sitting down on a metallic, circular machine. Something closed around her, leaving only her head visible. ''I want to see the truth.''

The blonde Jonin nodded, and stood in front of her with his hand forming a seal. The Aoyo closed her eyes, and they both entered the domain of her subconscious.

Inoichi was floating, met with the familiar view of one's mind. He approached it, extending his arm, ready to search for the unknown, ready to solve the mystery. And when he did, he was suddenly standing next to Soshimo Soraku, talking to him in the middle of a grassy meadow.

''_Wow!" A young Gurehai exclaimed, pointing at the Mud Wall the man had made. ''Will I be able to do that?" She asked, pure admiration in her eyes._

_''You will be able to do anything, Hai.'' Soshimo told the girl, and patted her head. ''Gureki and I believe in you.'' And then, she was abruptly pushed behind him protectively. Inoichi saw the two Akatsuki members approaching. **They are coming for her. **''Hai! Get away from here, now!'' The black haired man yelled, grasping her shoulders. The Academy student frowned, worry in her eyes._

_''But fath-...'' She tried to protest, but the man looked at her vividly, shaking her._

_''No, I said leave! Run back to the Hidden Leaf!"_

_The girl took off immediately, and a few seconds later Inoichi heard weapons clashing through her ears. She made for the tree line, from where she and her father had come from. Panting, her small body froze when the overwhelming feeling of the Akatsuki's lust for blood. She stayed there for a couple of moments, before biting her lip and taking off again. _

_She ran, and ran, and ran, and finally jumped on the tress, leaping from branch to branch. There were tears running down her face, and then, a scream rang through both Gurehai and the Yamanaka's ears. **Soshimo.**There was a short pause. Everything inside her screamed, everything around her was still. And then..._

_...A gigantic red door with bars appeared before them, with the word 'SEAL' written on it in ink black kanji. Gurehai didn't seem to be able to see it, but the Jonin stared at it in awe. Within the blink of an eye, a second form broke free from inside the girl, identical to her, faded, like a ghost. She jumped away from them, and on the red door, passing right through, phasing through it. She disappeared, but when Inoichi looked down, her physical body was still there. With his chakra, he created a wave._

_''Release.''_

_The next second, they were making their way back to the meadow. An explosion, some yelling, loud thuds. They were coming closer and closer to the battle scene. They were living the real memory._

_Gurehai crashed on the ground, rolling ungracefully in her hurry to stand up, and stumbled towards Soshimo. The man was fighting both enemies simultaneously, but he seemed to be even more feral then them, trying to keep the away... away from something... **He's keeping them away from the forest... he knows they're after her. Gurehai said one of them was dead by the time she got back... her memories were messed up, even as they were trying to unravel.**_

_''Father!" She screamed, keeping up her frantic pace. Suddenly, the blue haired Akatsuki member was in front of them, forcing her to halt. The moment he extended his hands to grab her, a psychotic smile gracing his features, was the moment the blade of a katana pierced right through his chest, and splashed blood all over Gurehai._

_Soshimo was behind him, holding the katana firmly. After that, Kakuzu's Wind Heart slashed at him with a Jutsu, opening a large gash on his back. The Soraku grunted and gritted his teeth, turning around and freeing his sword by cutting Shinhan open. The two halves of his body, held together by a few inches of flesh, fell a couple of feet away, to her right._

_Gurehai's lips quivered as her eyes slowly turned towards the dead man, finally settling on the torn apart body. One look at his bloodied insides, and the next second, she was emptying her stomach on the grass. The next thing Inoichi heard was the sound of porcelain breaking apart, and a furious explosion of curse words._

_''LITTLE BRAT! THIS IS ALL HAPPENING BECAUSE OF YOU!" Kakuzu yelled, angry at the loss of his Heart. He managed to backhand Soshimo away with his left hand, and then aimed his right one at her. The fist left his wrist, and came at her in terrifying speed. ''DIE!"_

_She had time to only raise her head. And then, the second she realized what was about to happen, someone flashed in front of her. More blood...more blood splashed on her face._

_''H-Hai...'' Soshimo coughed, red rivers seeping from both the hole in his chest and his mouth. The girl's wide eyes struggled to focus on her father's face, as his strained, sad smile twitched. ''I'm-m s-sorry...'' He sobbed, tears mixing with the dirt and blood on his face. He raised his hand, dragging his palm across her chin, settling his bloody palm on her forehead. His chakra started flowing inside her, and his body failed him._

_''...Remember me.''_

_He hit the ground the following second, accompanied by her pained cries, as she clutched the left side of her face. **She's in pain... why is she in pain? **The Akatsuki's fist was launched at her once again, this time, reaching her. His pale green eyes... those eyes glared into her soul, full of blood lust... malice. The Yamanaka Jonin flinched at the sound that echoed in his ears, before seeing both Kakuzu and the fist becoming smaller and smaller, drifting away._

_Gurehai was tackled away from the attack, and a chorus of growls broke out near her. She was in someone's arms, with flak jacket material and metal pressing against her skin. Now clutching both sides of her bloodied face, the girl shakily let go of her left one, seeing as the pain there was slowly fading away. Swallowing her sobs the best she could, and covering the wound above the eye she couldn't open, she looked up to face her savior._

_Anbu._

_For just one, fleeting moment, she was met with a face, or rather... a mask. It was white and red, resembling a cat...no... a dog, perhaps? Above that porcelain face, was an unmistakable mop of silver, gravity defying hair. Her crystal blue eyes started closing. After that, it was only a series of hazy images._

_Another Anbu member stood in front of them. He was short, and had his katana drawn out. A low, dark ponytail fell down between his shoulder blades._

_The silver haired boy moved from his kneeling position carefully, and laid her off his arms, and into somthing warmer and softer. Lying on her stomach, she managed to take a look at the ground around her. Her face came close to a nuzzle, and her vision focused to reveal her two dogs; One wore sunglasses, and the other was significantly smaller, a pug. The last thing she managed to do was wrap her weak arms around the large dog that was carrying her on its back, before consciousness left her._

_''Bull...'' Kakashi ordered, not looking away from the Akatsuki. ''...Take her back to the Village.''_

Inoichi was instantly snapped out of his temporary trance when he realized he was no longer in Gurehai's mind, no longer viewing the past from her perspective. Looking down, he wasn't ready for the sight he was met with. The Aoyo shed silent tears with her eye wide, mouth forming a trembling line.

''Gurehai?" He called, hesitant at first. _It seems I was right, after all. Her true memories had indeed been sealed away. But... Was it for the best?_

''Thank you, Inoichi-san.'' She quickly wiped her eyes clean and stepped out of the metallic machine, giving him a... smile? ''Truly... thank you. I can't express my gratitude to you right now, but... You really helped me.'' He could tell it was fake, her smile. She wasn't lying, no. But her almost perfect and full of gratitude smile, was strained.

''I am glad I could, even though I just did what you asked.'' He said, instead of commenting. _Poor girl. _''You don't have to worry about me telling anyone, too. This meeting is completely confidential. Only the two of us and the Lady Hokage know about it.''

_Good. _She almost let out, too shaken up to uphold her mask properly. ''Once again, thank you.'' She bowed her head, arms to her sides. Then she turned around, and walked to the door. ''Excuse me.''

And she left the Jonin standing alone.

\----

''We are... what?"

Gurehai repeated the question in her head, even though she had to admit she suspected something had been off the last two days. Ever since then, the day of her meeting with Inoichi Yamanaka in the Intelligence Division, she had been given no missions. And now, sitting in her living room with Ichi, Ni and her mother, ten minutes into their conversation, she finally realized why.

''You, me and Ni are leaving on a trip. A long-term one, away from Konohagakure. Consider it a combination of both a training journey and a mission, all with your Hokage's consent, of course.'' Ichi explained again, understanding their announcement was sudden. ''It's been a little less than a month since your teammate Naruto and the Sannin left on an identical one. Ours however, will have a different route.''

''So this is about the Akatsuki.'' She stated, more than asked. Nods answered her words all around the room, and she glanced at her her mother's saddened expression before looking down in thought. _How did I somehow know this day would come? I guess it's the wisest thing Konoha can do, after all._

''Yes. It's a good thing you know about them, Gurehai.'' Ni added, serious for the first time in a while. ''The Uzumaki left because of the Nine-Tailed Fox inside him. You have to because of the Taorigan. They're both things the red clouds are after, and you both have to train in order to protect yourselves and your Land.''

''I know.'' She sighed. She had told no one of that meeting, the one in which she found out the truth. Not her mother, not the Hokage, not the twins. Just herself. She kept the truth about that day between herself... And those two Anbu. "How long will we be away for?"

"Approximately three years." Ichi spoke this time, and Gurehai kept her face passive. "The same time period as Naruto. That's when the red clouds are rumored to attack next. You have to get as strong as possible until then. Capable of protecting yourself, and others, too."

_Myself, and others, too... _she pondered, suddenly aware of all those... others she'd have to leave behind. She turned to Gureki, eyes apologetic. ''Mother? You will have to live by yourself during this entire time, mother! How-...''

''I will be just fine, honey.'' Her soft voice assured her, her blue eyes meeting with her crystal ones. ''It'll be just as if you were here... Hospital, house and Hospital... Lady Tsunade will also be here if I need anything.'' She went on, taking her hand in hers. _How long will it be until we can do this again?_

_''_Well then... When do we have to leave?" Gurehai asked the twins, her fingers tightening around her mother's. Gureichi and Gureni looked at each other, and then at the set of backpacks and traveling cloaks that were hanging close to the door.

''As soon as possible. You have trained with Suiton, right?"' Receiving a positive answer, the older boy stood up. ''Well then, I know what's next on your list. And so, our fist destination is the Sand.'' Gurehai followed her cousin's lead and let go of her mother, inhaling some scent of home she never thought she'd miss.

''I'm going to pack my things, then.''

\----

The sky was more orange than blue, signifying the sunset was coming in less than an hour. It had been a nice, sunny day, despite the fact October was coming to an end, too. The three Aoyo ninja made their way down the Village's main street and towards the Gates slowly, each carrying a backpack on their shoulders. Gurehai had a faraway look in her eye. She had already said goodbye to her mother back at their house, with a tight but at the same time gentle embrace, and a few tears from Gureki's side. That faraway look didn't go unnoticed by the twins, who stood on either side of her.

''Are you sure you're okay with traveling at night? We did say we have to leave as soon as possible, but a few hours won't harm anyone. We can always set off in the morning.'' Ichi inquired, looking down at her with masked concern.

''No, it's fine. I think it's better this way, too. If we delayed any longer, I have no doubt word would somehow spread out, and tomorrow morning we'd be met with an entire party, led by Izumo and Kotetsu.'' She chuckled lightly, picturing the scene in her mind.

''Well...'' Ni started, an irritated expression slowly creeping into his features. ''...I think it's happening, anyway.'' He huffed and looked ahead, and at the cabin next to Konoha's entrance. There stood not one, not two, not even three, but six figures.

''GUREHAI-TAICHOU!" Kotetsu hollered, attracting attention from the few people walking by. He jumped away from Izumo who laughed, and approached her and the Sand ambassadors, looking something between relieved and upset. ''Thank Kami, we got here early!''

He came straight at her and the Aoyo males took instinctively a few steps back, letting their cousin interact with her teammates properly. ''So it's true then?" Izumo asked after eyeing her traveling gear, following after his best friend. ''We heard from Lady Tsunade. You are leaving like Naruto, aren't you?"

_Lady Fifth did? And what about... all the others? _

''I think her backpack says enough.'' Shikamaru lightly commented, with his hands in his pockets. The spiky haired boy was the next one to join their growing group, as always in his Chunin vest. ''We were summoned in the Hokage's office today, saying it was a call for the Chunin Four. We were a little confused when you didn't show up, but then we got an explanation.''

''A load of shit of an explanation, that was!" Kotetsu complained again, nostrils flaring. ''_Gurehai will be departing today. If you wish to see her off, you should gather at the Village Gates._ And then she dismissed us for some paperwork! It is the first and probably last time we willingly apply for guard duty, and that's it!"

''I... thank you for getting into the trouble.'' Was all the white haired Kunoichi could say, realizing the three of them had probably been there since noon. ''And for coming, too... But with all due respect... what is Ino doing here?" As cue, the blonde girl came closer, almost shy. 

''Well... I met Shikamaru who said where he was going, and... I was done visiting Choji at the Hospital, too... Sakura is with him now... so I thought I'd...''

''Sakura? Why is she at the Hospital?" Gurehai frowned, even though she wasn't complaining. Better there, than here, trying to tell her a forced goodbye.''

''She and I are training under Lady Tsunade now, you know?" She said, surprising the Aoyo. _She and Sakura... training under Lady Fifth? _''But that's not the point!" She immediately gained courage, letting out a frustrated sigh. ''I came here to tell you farewell and tell you... tell you...'' And, after a small pause... ''To tell you I'm going to be your rival!"

''Oh?" _What's this all of a sudden?_

''You heard me, I'm going to be your rival! I don't know how long you'll be away for, or the reason you're leaving, on that matter... But, when you come back, I will have become Chunin! And I'll train like crazy, with the Hokage, and Team 8, and challenge you when you return, you hear me, Gurehai?" The Yamanaka girl demanded, unwavering under all of the Chunin's blank and startled stares.

_Is that what she wants? Ino, my rival? _''I'd like to see that...'' She eventually said, unblinking. Taking in the Genin's surprisingly satisfied expression, she let a small smirk appear on her lips and walked past her slowly. ''...Even though rivals are supposed to be somewhat equal in power.'' 

''WHAT WAS THAT, GURE?" Izumo and Kotetsu held her back after that last comment, while Shikamaru just covered his ears with his usual annoyed expression. The fifth member of the company made his way to her, just as she had started approaching him. They met in the middle, and after a short-lived stare down, they both their lips broke in to a smile.

''May you have a safe and rewarding journey, Gurehai.'' Neji wished, his pale lavender eyes serious, as always. The girl inwardly snorted at his words.

''Formal as always.'' She commented, before pausing for a few seconds. She suddenly turned serious again. ''By the time I come back, we'll both be adults.'' She said, consciously letting him in on exactly how long she'd be away for. Since they were of the same age, the boy quickly did the math, before going back to listening to her closely. ''You'd better have become a Jonin by then, Hyuga. Don't tell those three...'' She trailed off, nodding her head towards the other members of the Chunin Four, who were still working on calming down Ino. ''...I was planning on taking the Jonin Exams after our tenth mission. But a change of plans obviously occurred, and time is pressing me... I want you to uphold that 'top Genin' title, and take it to other levels. Don't think I won't challenge you.''

''And I have been told you always keep your promises... Should I be worried?" The long haired boy joked, knowing his occasional Captain wouldn't back down.

''No. You should be determined to train.'' She retorted as a matter of fact. Suddenly remembering something else, she stopped before moving on to her last visitor. ''Give Tenten and Lee my regards.'' She said, and he nodded. With one last look, she bid him farewell. ''See you in three years' time, then.''

''See you in three years' time, Gurehai.''

There was one last person she had to encounter before she and her cousins would have to step out of Konohagakure's familiar streets, and he was waiting for her a little further away from the others, holding one of his apparently favorite belongings. Narrowing her eyes at the item, she decided to let it pass... for a short while.

She'd been meaning to find and talk to him before. And now, standing in front of him, she realized she would have had to wait nearly three years to do so, if it weren't for Izumo and Kotetsu, who undoubtedly informed him on the situation.

''It wounds me that my precious little Kunoichi wouldn't have said goodbye if it weren't for those two airheads.'' Kakashi's voice was laced with an overly dramatic tone as he squinted his eyes at the two eldest members of Gurehai's secondary Team, who were trying to slap each other's head as many times as they could. Her eye nearly twitched at the word 'little'.

''Just you wait, _old man_.'' She warned, and he inaudibly gasped. ''You can't grow any taller, but I can. And a wise woman told me I'd grow up to be very tall, so be concerned. I'll be above that unnecessary mask before you know it.'' With that playful threat, she sighed and became her usual self. ''And yes... I apologize. But the twins only just announced our departure today, so...'' She trailed off, feeling she had to get to her point soon. Above, the sky was red.

''I'm just messing with you.'' The Hatake laughed a little, scratching the back of his head. ''I was in Tsunade-sama's office anyway. I wouldn't have missed it.''

_Oh. _Was all she could think of, as she lowered her head. _I have to wrap it up, before Gureni comes over and cuts me short. _And so, she bowed. ''Thank you for everything this past months, sensei.'' She said, not rushing to stand back up. ''Thank you for helping me with my Genjutsu and the Chunin Exams, thank you for teaching me the Chidori, and working with me on Raiton and Suiton. Thank you, for developing a Jutsu with me.'' She told him next, thinking back to how the Water Bubble was created.

''Well, it was my duty as a t-...''

His sentence was never finished, as the Chunin suddenly took a step forward and wrapped her arms around his torso. His eyes widened, as she fought to keep her blue eyes clean of tears.

''I'm sorry for doing this in public like this, but I won't get the chance to do it, if not now. I have to thank you for one last thing.'' She mumbled against his chest, her hidden face red for the first time at the thought of the others looking at them. ''I had a... meeting with Inoichi Yamanaka... and a few things cleared up.'' She added, voice straining harder than before. The Jonin's face didn't seem to know in which emotion to settle down on. ''And seeing as I only have access to one of the two Anbu from that day...'' She finally stepped away, wiping her left eye with the back of her hand in shame. 

''...Thank you, Hatake Kakashi, for saving my life.'' She breathed, thankful her back was turned to her other comrades. Blue meet black, and silence fell over them. She waited. And waited. _Say something. Just say something, anything. I know it was you that day, even from the one second I got the chance to look at you. It was you, your crazy silver hair, and your ninja hounds. Pakkun, Bull... you were all there._

She felt a weight on top of her head, and inhaled sharply in relief when she realized she wasn't wrong. He was resting his hand on her head, as it was slightly lowered.

''You are welcome, Gurehai.'' He said with his usual cheerful tone, and gave her one of his close eyed smiles. ''Now, you should go back to your partners. I think one of the twins is about to come and drag you away any second now.'' He added, and indeed, Gurehai calmly turned around to see one of the Aoyos squinting his eye at them. 

''Oh, and, one more thing.'' She said, without a trace of weakness in her voice. A small smirk made its appearance once again. ''You should stop reading Jiraiya's porn books in public places. Kids will start following you around yelling 'Pervert'.'' And she left him behind, with all his revealed skin glowing red.

''Gurehai.'' Ichi called, walking closer to her, and the middle of the Gates. ''It's about time now. The sun is almost down.'' He pointed out, as Gureni joined them. And then they both eyed her attire, making her subconsciously caress her Chunin vest. _I can't travel the Lands wearing a Konohagakure attire._

''I get it.'' She sighed, looking back at the people that had gathered for her. ''Kotetsu.'' She motioned for the man to come near, and he complied, confused. ''You were the one who handed this to me... Now I'm handing it it back.'' She unzipped her vest and slipped it off her shoulders, slowly giving it to a teary-eyed Kotetsu.

''Yes, Captain!" He said, saluting with his free hand.

Ni then threw an identical to theirs green traveling cloak on her shoulders, and she freed her hair from under it before tying it around her shoulders. She let her eyes roam over her comrades one last time. The first stars had started to appear, when she took the first step outside the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

''I will be back stronger, Lord Third.''


	42. Part II- Miles Away

''That damn Kakashi-sensei! Is that stupid book really more important than seeing the results of our training?" Naruto Uzumaki whined, not even an hour after having arrived at his home, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. He had finally come back. The familiar streets, buildings and people, the colorful shops and green trees seemed brighter than ever as he walked past them, with Sakura by his side, and the feeling of happiness in his bones. ''Oh, and, tell me...'' He raised his eyebrows suggestively, pointing at the pair that was following them. ''Are you two... on a date?"

''As if.'' Shikamaru looked away from Temari, with his bored expression gracing his features, as always. ''It's the Chunin Exams. Temari has been traveling back and forth between Konoha and Suna the past few weeks due to her ambassador status, and I was appointed as her guard. A drag, really.'' He sighed, raising his eyes towards the sky. _Not any clouds to watch today._

''A-ambassador?" Naruto almost pronounced it wrong, due to the nagging feeling in his mind. He had heard something like that before, and he felt like something was different. ''Oh, yeah! Gure-chan's cousins were ambassadors! For the Sand, too! Those identical bastards, they always made fun of my height. Well, were are they now! I'm nearly a foot taller, ttebayo!'' He pouted, before pumping his fist in the air. And then he stopped, as if having remembered something. ''More importantly... where is Gure-chan? I want to see her, too! We haven't talked in so long, and she promised we would fight! Where is she? On a mission? At her house?''

Sakura, Shikamaru and Temari all exchanged a look and then the Nara rubbed the back of his head, glancing up at the sky-again.

''That's right... you never heard, Naruto.'' He started, inhaling slowly. _It's about time you come back too, then, Gurehai. _''Gurehai... she left the Village a little less than a month after you. A training journey, I was told. Her cousins, Ichi and Ni, went with her as her mentors. That's why they no longer execute ambassador duties, too. We haven't heard from those three in at least two and a half years...'' He trailed off, seeing the surprise in the Uzumaki's face.

Naruto looked at the spiky haired Chunin blankly, his mouth forming a small 'o'. _Gure-chan... left? _Everyone gave him a couple of seconds to let the new information sink in, before they could answer whatever questions he might have had. But, Temari interjected.

''Well, the later isn't true.'' She retorted, crossing her arms. The Konohagakure ninja turned to her. ''I have less than two and a half years to hear from her. Although I was asked not to let anyone in on that information, I guess it can't be helped with you three. Gurehai came to Sunagakure, right after her departure. She stayed with us for around six months, too... and left right before the joined Chunin Exams. That's why none of you saw her.''

''Are you serious?" The two boys breathed out simultaneously, and Sakura averted her eyes to the ground.

''Yes. We and other Jonin Fuuton users trained together with her almost every day, until we fell on the ground from exhaustion. She didn't give up easily, that's for sure.''

''It sounds like her.'' Shikamaru chuckled, and Naruto stood speechless for a moment.

''Fuuton... Huh?" He mumbled, before raising his head and giving his friends one of his famous grins. ''She can use Wind Release, then! Alright!'' He laughed, eyes gleaming. _She kept her promise, ttebayo!_

\----

Miles upon miles away, Gurehai stood on the edge of a rocky cliff, listening to the waves crash against the rocks below, and staring off in the horizon. Seagulls flew circles above her head, calling for each other. _It must be about time, _she thought, as the air blew her hair out of her face. _Almost t__wo and a half years since we left the Sand, almost three years since we left the Leaf. I'm ready. I feel it. I've learned and discovered things... things that would have never crossed my mind._

The first thing Ichi and Ni had done, two days after their departure from Konoha and their first night of rest, was to sit her down next to the fire they had started and give her a lecture. The lecture that changed her entire view towards the Aoyo clan.

''What has Gureki told you about our clan?" Gureichi had spoken first, standing across from her with his usual serious expression. That was the easiest way to tell them apart, since she couldn't use their appearance. Both males had two moods which they were in all the time. Gureichi was either smiling kindly or being silently serious; Gureni was either a smirking jokester or irritatingly stubborn.

''Members of the Aoyo clan have distinctive black hair and blue eyes, and 'Gure' as the first part of their name. The second part is something that represented them. A dispute tore it apart when mother was seventeen. The only survivors were herself, and the two of you. She told me you were distant relatives of her, and that she didn't remember your names. But that was obviously a lie.'' _Another lie, _she had bitterly thought, recalling how she knew nothing about her family until a few months prior.

''You have to understand the reason she did that before we move on to anything else.'' The boy had stated, arms crossed. ''To do that, we have to tell you why that... dispute started in the first place. That way you might understand her feelings-...''

''Your image of the Sand might change completely.'' Ni had interrupted his brother, also serious. It was a rare occasion, seeing him like that. ''You are a smart girl, however. You will understand that the past has no relation to the present.''

''The way you are approaching this, I am getting the idea the Aoyo clan was wiped out because of political reasons.'' Gurehai had commented, already in the midst of speculating the worst scenarios. ''And you are afraid of my actions, now that we're heading to Sunagakure.''

''Something like that.''

''I'm all ears.''

''You know what it takes for the Taorigan to be awakened, don't you?" That had made the Kunoichi pause. Then she had simply nodded. ''Then you know that at least three people have to die, in order for just one Aoyo to gain it.'' Another nod. ''Then it makes things easier. The Taorigan has always been a powerful Dojutsu, some would even say _overpowered_. But some, like our late clan members, believed that killing your loved ones, or killing in general, for power, was terrible. That's why many decades ago, around the time the First and Second Kazekage were alive, it was decided between the clan members that no one would pursue to awaken it.''

''That was probably the reason our clan stopped giving birth to shinobi, too.'' Gureni had added, from next to her. ''If an Aoyo didn't become a shinobi, then their chances of killing someone were little to none. The Taorigan was buried in scrolls and the clan's stories, at least until the birth of our most famous ninja.''

''Aoyo Guretora?" Gurehai had questioned, but already suspecting the answer.

''Exactly. It became clear as she grew older that she was born to be a shinobi. She was looked down on by many clan members, especially when a few others from the new generation followed her lead as well. Gureki was one of them, becoming a healer. Everything about the dispute started about sixteen years ago. Of course, everything we know comes from other information sources. We weren't older than three at that time.''

''Guretora awakened the Taorigan around the age of thirty. With that came the entire fall of our clan. But it wasn't her fault. It was all a plan, a plan gone wrong... By the Fourth Kazekage.'' 

Silence had fallen over them, as the girl's eyes widened at the fire's embers. 

''Gaara's father? The Kazekage? Why would a leader ever want to kill his people?" She had frowned, suddenly strangely offended.

''Like I said, it was a plan eventually gone wrong.'' Gureni had looked away from her. She hadn't understood why. ''Lord Rasa sent her on a mission. He also sent a team, consisting of another Aoyo clan member, after her. Assuming they were enemy ninja, since it was a time of war, she killed them. It is said that that Aoyo was a loved one. It was the moment she awakened her Taorigan.''

But what was the Kazekage's plan in the first place? Why did he sent an entire cell to its death on purpose?"

''Like Ni said, it was a time of war.'' Gureni had grown more serious than ever. ''And the Sand could not afford to loose to its enemies. Lord Rasa needed all the military power he could get. He couldn't accept the fact that his most powerful clan had turned into a mass of peace-lovers. Forcing Guretora to awaken her Dojutsu gave him the strength of a hundred men.''

''It all went wrong, though. By gaining that power, and by killing one of her kin, even by a misunderstanding, she went against the clan. That's when the Aoyos split into two sides. The elders and their supporters, and Guretora, Gureki, and the close family of the man she killed, who believed her and not the ones in command. It ended in a bloodbath, in which every Aoyo tried to awaken their Dojutsu. If Guretora could, then why shouldn't everyone have it? In the end, almost everyone died, and the Kazekage sent Anbu to take care of the rebels.''

More silence. That time, a deafening one. Gurehai's sigh had ended it, a whole minute later.

''So that's the truth behind the fall of our clan? One man's ambition?" She had narrowed her eyes to the ground, mumbling o herself. She had shook her head a few seconds later. ''I know that the Sand has almost completely changed since then, without you trying to convince me otherwise. Gaara is the Kazekage now, and he hated his father with all his heart. He would never follow his footsteps.''

''Then we don't have to worry about taking you there. But, that was still only one part of our lecture covered.'' Gureichi had said, as the dark forest between the borders of the Land of Fire and Wind moved around them. ''You still don't know everything about the Taorigan. Well, we don't either, considering no user of it is alive. But you still have to know what we do.''

''I know three people have to die. The Aoyo has to kill two people, one of them has to be someone they love; And someone has to die for them. After that, the Taorigan is awakened, and... the Taorigan can absorb chakra? That's what I was told.''

''Then you know less than we though. Somewhat wrong facts, as well.'' The twins had interjected, leaving her surprised. 

''The Taorigan doesn't start being able to absorb chakra after it's been awakened. The chakra of the people they've killed and the people who've died for them has been absorbed the moment they've stopped breathing. Meaning, the person carries all their chakra in their own body. When the Dojutsu is finally activated, all that chakra breaks down to three categories; Chakra reserves, speed and healing. All this information was left behind by Guretora, so we don't know which chakra goes where.''

''For example, we don't know if the chakra of the people killed by the Aoyo enhances speed, and the chakra of the one who sacrificed themselves enhances healing. Guretora didn't have much time to understand it herself.'' Gureichi had continued the explanation after his brother, keeping an eye out for his cousin's reaction.

''But if the person's chakra is stored in the Aoyo's body...'' Gurehai had trailed off, eyed red under the glow of the fire. ''...Then that means... If an Aoyo kills another Aoyo...''

''...All the chakra that has been absorbed by them will also end up in the killer's body.'' Ichi confirmed her suspicions, and proceeded to stand up. ''And, as you've probably realized by now, that's why your eye burns every time you kill someone. It's their chakra, entering your body.'' 

That was it. So many answers had been finally answered, and the white haired girl found herself wondering just how many more things those two could teach her, in the course of the years to come. All that information on the Taorigan, the Aoyo clan and herself, had just been the first weekend of their journey together.

''Have you ever wondered what the word 'Taorigan' means, Gurehai?"

''Many times.'' She had admitted, raising her head to look at Ichi, to answer his own question. ''I figured it must be a couple of words put together, but I never came to imagine which ones.''

''Taoreta mono no hikari.'' Had come the revelation. ''The light of the fallen, in other words. Suiting, don't you think? Syllables of those words were sewn together, and this is the result: 'Taorigan'.''

''Our ancestors were obviously too lazy to pronounce the whole thing.'' Gureni had commented, falling backwards to lie on his back. ''Now, enough talk. Somebody take first watch... Consider me already asleep.'' 

And that's how that night's conversation had ended, with Gurehai later joining Ni on the grassy ground, under Ichi's watchful eye. 

_All that was nearly three years ago, _she now though, eyes searching the endless sea for signs... signs of ships, perhaps? _So many things must have changed since then... I know I have. _She lowered her head to look at her feet, clad in black shinobi sandals. 

One of the things that had changed during her journey, was definitely her attire. Her grey cloak, Jiraiya's gift, made from Hiruzen Sarutobi's battle attire, no longer hung from her shoulders, since she had outgrown it long ago. It had been recreated in the form of shorts and a tight-fitting tank top, identical to the black one she used to wear in her preteen years. That cloak had been replaced by another, white one.

''Finally.'' She remembered Ni showing his approval with a sigh of relief, when he first aw her wearing it, a few months after she had turned sixteen. ''You don't look like a bat anymore.''

The sleeveless white cloak reached her knees, and had ice blue trimmings, like the previous one. Right between her shoulder blades, of course, was an azure sun, with navy details embroidered on its rays. The pouches in her thighs had received yet another addition. It was a sheath on her right leg, the same grey color as them, that concealed five longer than normal senbons, having a curved edge for her to loop her fingers inside. Finally, the white hair that used to reach her shoulders had grown an inch past them, and no longer fell in front of her right eye. A thick strand had a tie an inch above its end, and fell there, not revealing the corner of her eye even in the strongest of winds.

The thing that changed, and that she hated the most, was her face and body. Not because she grew up not to like the way she looked... but the way she was now a head taller, with long legs and a slim waist, a large bust like her mother's, plump lips, and high cheekbones. An image horribly familiar... the exact image Orochimaru had shown her, in the vision he gave her, trying to get her to join him, all those years ago, when Lord Third was alive.

_The only thing I'm missing is a Curse Mark, _she had cursed the first time she realized the resemblance.

The last, and most shocking change to the ones waiting for her back home, was her tattooed hands. In the back of both her palms, in black ink, a total of two Sealing Symbols were forever engraved. On her left, a circle; On her right, a two-pointed arrow.

''Gurehai.'' A calm, masculine voice called from behind her, stopping her train of thought. Blinking once, she kept herself from gasping. The cloudless blue sky had been replaced by the soft lavender hues of sunset. How long had she been standing there for? Why didn't the come for her earlier. One of the twins stepped on her left, gaining her full attention. ''Ni is waiting back at the campfire. Let's go.'' The girl chuckled, turning around without sparing him a glance.

''Nice try, Gureni.'' She laughed lightly, walking past him. ''Still not a perfect imitation, though.''

''Oh, come on! How?" The male's expression and mood immediately changed, as he jogged to catch up with her. ''How did you know it was me again? What do I do wrong?" He groaned.

''The voice was perfect, I'll give you that.'' She praised truthfully. ''But you came to stand on my left again. Ichi always stands on my right.''

''Damn it.'' The 21-year old muttered, as they reached the third member of the party, crouching down in front of a fire, cooking a pot of rice. Behind him was a red and rocky brown tent, matching the terrain of the cliff. ''That's the third time in a row.''

''I know.''

''Come sit down, the two of you.'' Ichi urged the pair, once they came within hearing distance. He handed Gurehai a cup of rice and then picked up one for himself, leaving his brother to take his own food with an irritated expression. ''There will be no night training, in case you've been wondering why I gave you the afternoon off.'' Came the next comment, making the girl frown.

''No after-midnight Genjutsu training?'' She questioned, eating her dinner. ''That's odd. You're usually eager to have me solve your riddles, and I've been anxious to win my bet against Ni. A bowl of ramen next village we pass says I can release your Sokubaku Realm***** in two seconds.''

''There's a reason we're resting today.'' The blue eyed boy announced. ''It's because tomorrow, we'll be setting off. For a more distant destination than usual.'' That made Gurehai ponder.

_A more distant destination? We usually travel someplace else every week, and our goal is the borders of the shinobi Nations. Even then, he instantly mentions where we're headed. _Night had fallen around the three Aoyo ninja, but the Kunoichi still glanced at the wide cliff they had decided to camp on. The closest town was three hours worth of running away from them, by the shore. They were on the most southern point of the Land of Rivers, close to the Land Of Wind border. _Don't tell me..._

_''_We are returning to the Hiden Leaf.''


	43. Come Together

_''We are returning to the Hidden Leaf.''_

She couldn't say she hadn't been expecting that, of course. Their training sessions had been starting to become less and less intense the past month, and Ichi would often leave her and his brother alone, stating that the reason was 'confidential'. His more serious side had began surfacing more than usual, too.

''What's this all of a sudden?" Gureni unexpectedly questioned, black brows furrowing. Gurehai also got the urge to frown, but for a different reason. 

_He didn't know we'd be leaving? How can that be? _She glanced between the two worriedly, noticing that the boy on her left had hung his head, glaring at the ground. _What's going on?_

''I received a letter from the Hokage while I was down at the village.'' He explained, nodding somewhere towards the east side of the cliff. ''Naruto and the Sannin have returned to Konoha. It's time for us to do the same, as well. We _were_ originally planning on leaving in a month from now.'' He emphasized, as to explain himself to his brother. ''But the time has come. And our real training has been completed. There's nothing left for us to teach you.''

Gureni opened his mouth to say something, but closed it as second later. Gurehai didn't notice, staring at the fire.

''I told you at the begining of this journey, and I will say it once again now, that my words have come true.'' Ichi began again, looking at his cousin with proud eyes. ''Ni and I have never been on the top of the Sand's shinobi list. We probably never will. But I am glad for these past few years, for both the fact that we made you stronger, and for the fact that you made as stronger, too. I am proud to say that you have surpassed us both, Gurehai. That's why I say you're ready.''

She simply nodded and lowered her gaze once more. She had never been one to know how to react when someone praised her like that. ''We are leaving tomorrow, then?" She asked.

''Yes. We're setting off, first thing in the morning.''

True to his word, the older Aoyo twin woke Gurehai up a few minutes after sunrise. She got out of the tent and stretched, hearing the satisfying sounds of her bones cracking. Ichi wasted no time in sealing the cloths away, and as the girl watched the black remains of their last night's fire, she realized Ni wasn't with them.

''We had an... argument, last night.'' The black haired Aoyo admitted, without Gurehai having to inquire anything. She would know if he was lying, anyway. ''A heated one, too. I was surprised you didn't wake up by his yelling.'' She was confused. Not by the reason behind their fight, but by the fact he looked almost guilty. Why would he be?

_Were they arguing about... me? Furthermore... how much of a damn heavy sleeper am I? _She couldn't help but think, as he informed her Ni would be meeting up with them in a few hours time, when they'd be long past the village by the shore. _What could the reason be for him to get so upset? From what I understood last night, he didn't know about today's plans. Was he bothered by Ichi making a decision by himself?_

She allowed her mind to clear and stop thinking about the stubborn boy, and followed his brother to the cliff instead. Letting him take the lead, she spared one last glance at the horizon before jumping off the edge.

Neither of them could imagine what was about to go down a few hours later.

\----

_Impossible._

That's all the blond Deidara could think, as he watched the Leaf and Sand ninja exchange information. _Simply impossible. You're telling me my man Sasori got beaten by that little girl and that old hag? Eternal beauty that remains long into the future, my ass, hn. _From his hiding spot, he could see the Jinchuriki, that pesky Copy Ninja, and the two females that had taken down his partner, but they couldn't see him. There was nothing else for him to do but retreat, being alone and missing both his arms.

The moment he stepped out of the bushes, though, was the moment he realized his original plan would have to be altered. In front of him, and without missing any limbs, was Team Guy.

''Good job, Neji.'' The oldest Jonin among them praised his student and smirked, and the Byakugan user nodded. 

_Konohagakure's Byakugan, hn? They cornered me, using my blind spot. Getting away from them is going to be troublesome. _Balancing a kunai between his teeth, the only way to hold a weapon to defend himself, he let his blue eyes flicker between all four of them. Then, their brawl began.

The sounds of weapons continuously clashing didn't go unnoticed by the remains of Team 7 and Chiyo. With his attention now attracted, Kakashi turned his head towards the metallic noises, eyebrows furrowing. Team Guy had engaged in combat, and the enemy couldn't be other than the Akatsuki boy. It seemed only seconds later, that they had neared them, and that the Rogue decided to land next to one of his clay creations.

''Be careful, everyone! He's a long-range type that uses explosives!" He warned his allies loudly, watching their moves closely from his kneeling position a considerable amount of feet away. 

Deidara let the kunai fall from his mouth, and proceeded to bite down on the half-destroyed clay bird, tearing a piece off it and chewing quickly. He would settle it quickly, and take down as many of them as he could. Swallowing, he found himself smirking.

''I will show you my ultimate work of art...'' He stated, his eyes glinting with mischievousness. The following moment, parts of his body began swelling up, making even his face deform. Neji's lavender eyes, surrounded by the Byakugan's veins, widened. The Akatsuki was focusing every ounce of his chakra into a single point all at once, dangerously resembling... a bomb.

''No way...'' He whispered to himself, right before his suspicions were confirmed. ''Everyone, get back, quickly!" He immediately yelled, alarming the entire squad. Team Guy, closest to the enemy, was quick to jump away, with Sakura following suit, supporting Lady Chiyo by wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Then came Naruto's Shadow Clones, carrying Gaara's lifeless body. Kakashi was the last to make a move, looking at the blonde's final move.

''Art is an explosion!" He exclaimed, no fear or hesitation evident in his voice. ''KATSU!"

The noise produced, was nearly enough to render them deaf. The gigantic orb of fire towered above everybody's heads, even those still leaping high in the air. As the heat quickly crept up to their skin, all of them were met with a common realization... They weren't going to make it in time. Frightened and agonizing glances were shared among the Leaf shinobi, with the explosion easily catching up. Kakashi raised his gaze, his left-eye Sharingan just about to spiral back into its Mangekyo form, when a new voice came from above.

''Fuuton:" It confidently said, its velvety undertones reminding him of something... or rather, of a certain someone. ''Great Vacuum Sphere!"

Another deafening sound made their ears ring, as the Jutsu hit the explosion head on. The last thing Naruto and the Hatake managed to see before they were forced to close their eyes, was a white flash falling from the sky. Hair whipping in the wind and cloak flapping around bent knees, the blurry, white flash turned out to be a person.

A few seconds later, the dust settled, and all noise subsided into the occasional chirping of birds. The shinobi's skin, previously sweating and prickling with heat, had now started cooling down.

And they opened their eyes.

Farther away, when the explosion had first started, a large crater expanded towards their twelve o'clock, framed and adorned with uprooted and burnt trees. The surrounding forest seemed ridiculously peaceful, compared to what was going on mere seconds ago. And, right in front of them, back turned, stood their white-clad savior. Their first reaction was to blink. And, even if their eyes instantly landed on the crest upon the person's back next, they didn't get a chance to speak.

''Honestly...'' The newcomer sighed, looking at her handiwork up front with a chuckle threatening to escape her lips. ''...I can't leave Team 7 alone for a few days, and this happens?'' The next second, she was finally turning to face them.

She had managed to steal a glance at her comrades' backs while she was running to reach them, but he hadn't managed to observe Team Guy, even though they were turned towards her. Their faces had disappeared the moment she had jumped higher, to perform her devastating Jutsu. But, the moment she was about to take a look at her friends, her vision was obscured by an orange and black figure, and her face was buried in blond hair. It didn't need much thought to realize who it was.

Naruto's legs had made him bolt up from his spot on the ground before his mind even registered what was going on. He forgot about the explosion, he even momentarily forgot about Gaara, whose body was still being supported by his Shadow Clones. The moment he had seen her hair, the moment her cloak had swished, the moment he had heard her voice, his feet carried him to her, and his arms had embraced her. Somewhere in between a huge grin manifested, and his brain caught up. She was back.

''Gure-chan!" He breathed out, as she almost instinctively wrapped her arms around his shoulders. ''You are back, dattebayo!" 

Gurehai closed her eyes and took a single breath, smiling into the Uzumaki's hair. She wanted to hug him tighter, spin him around easily, like she knew she could, and laugh. She remembered that she had more people around her, however, and settled for the latter. 

''I am here, Naruto.'' She assured him, steadying herself. ''And you're so grown up!" She pulled away slightly, glancing up and down. Quickly doing the math and comparing him to her own height, she inwardly shook her head. He had grown about seven inches, from the last time she had seen him. It wasn't enough, however, not yet. A smirk plastered itself on her lips before she could stop it. ''But, still shorter than me, I see. You're making me feel uncomfortable, you know.''

''Oi, that's not fair!" He complained, throwing his head from side to side. He clenched his fists playfully. ''Right when I was happy about finally being taller than Sakura-chan, you came and bursted my bubble! And you used Fuuton, too!''

''I made a promise, idiot. I'm not breaking it any time soon.'' She suddenly changed her tone of voice, becoming serious. Then, she remembered the others. As if having read her thoughts, the blond stepped aside. And, at last, she could see them. 

Guy was the only one standing from his team. He, unsurprisingly, hadn't changed at all. As he watched her with a proud smile on his lips, she noted that his cheekbones and eyebrows were as prominent as ever. Next to him, Lee blushed. She gave him a sincere smile, opening her mouth to greet him and his company, but got interrupted by Tenten and her enthusiastic voice.

''It's so good to see you again!" She cried, her brown eyes lighting up like twin stars. She hurried to stand up and then pounced on the white haired girl, hugging her side. The Aoyo didn't push her away, accepting yet another embrace. ''I was so mad when Neji told me you gave me your regards.'' That almost made her frown. ''I wanted to see you before you left, obviously!"

_She... did?_

''Well, forgive me.'' She glanced sideways at her comrade's pout. ''It was a sudden announcement to me too, and, if I remember right, you were gone on a mission.'' It all she seemed so strange to her. Had really things changed that much while she was gone? Had... people changed so much? Or was Tenten just genuinely trying to get close to her? _After all... why would she want that? _Thoughts like these were what made her want to return to her past, considerably more emotionless self.

''Don't worry about that now.'' She assured her. ''You've changed so much, too, you know? Not that it's a bad thing or anything!'' She quickly added with her usual chirpy voice. ''But seriously now, Naruto is right... Why _are _you so tall? You might even be taller than Lee and Neji!" The Aoyo shook her head with a small smile.

''It wouldn't be that much of a surprise.'' A male commented, making her blue orbs instantly settle on the one member of Team Guy she had yet to acknowledge. _Neji. _He had changed, too. He was significantly taller, his face was thinner, his brown hair longer. Yet, somehow, he had remained the same. His lavender eyes, had. He was dressed in mostly white, too. 

''Welcome back.'' A strained voice spoke before Gurehai could say anything to the Hyuga, and her attention shifted to the left. Her gaze flickered over the last female of the company, one with unmistakable pink hair and green eyes, but at last found someone else. Her eyes almost widened unconsciously.

''Sensei.'' Was all she managed to say, before the man before her suddenly collapsed backwards. The Kunoichi was behind him a second later, lowering herself down onto one knee as she caught him. He fell on her arms with a grunt, closing his left eye tightly. From his side, she looked down at him with a surprised expression. ''What happened to you?"

''You've gotten a lot faster.'' He said instead of answering her question, breathing heavily. She took a moment to study him. Everything in his appearance had remained the same, from his gravity-defying silver hair to his mask, covering his face up to his nose. With closer look, she realized his mask wasn't the one she remembered him wearing. _It's grey..._

''I sure hope so.'' She replied, not tearing her blue orb away from his black one. ''You, however, don't seem to have changed at all. What's this pathetic situation of yours, huh? You look like you're dying. I bet you overused that Sharingan you have again, didn't you?"

''Yes...'' He admitted with a deep sigh, closing his right eye as well. A small disapproving look made its way on her face, and she turned to Naruto.

''What even happened here for him to end up like this? What caused the explosion? We immediately headed this way because I sensed your chakra, Naruto.'' Gurehai explained, giving her blonde teammate a pointed glance at the word 'chakra'. She was never good at sensing chakra, and that hadn't changed much during her training journey, but after sensing it once, she was now able to recognize the Nine-Tailed Fox's senile chakra signature anywhere. ''Are the lot of you here on a mission? I-...''

''KAZEKAGE-SAMA!" A sudden shout rang through the air, and everybody's heads turned to catch glimpse of two figures jumping on the ground from the trees. Startled, Gurehai frowned lightly at her cousins, who both landed hurriedly, making for something behind the entire group.

''Gaara?" She questioned, and suddenly the eyes of the Konohagakure ninja around her seemed to change, and become sadder. With her head instantly snapping to where the twins were kneeling down, she saw something she hadn't noticed before, and her eyes widened. ''Oi, what in the world happened to him?" She raised her voice, but still made sure to carefully set down Kakashi as she stood up and approached the redhead.

''The Akatsuki.'' Sakura spoke up, her gaze at the grass below their feet. 

_Akatsuki? _The Aoyos simultaneously thought, staring at the unconscious boy frantically. Naruto's Shadow Clones, who previously held up the Kage, disappeared in a small cloud of smoke. Their place took Ichi and Ni, not bothering to directly inform the others of what they were doing by carrying him away. _What did the Akatsuki do to him?_

''To the open field we passed, now!" The oldest commanded, and both Ni and Gurehai obeyed with synchronized steps. Behind them, Teams Guy and 7 along with Chiyo didn't hesitate to follow.

Ichi set Gaara's limp body down on the swaying grass, and guided his glowing green hands on top of his chest quickly. With the sun shining its hot rays on their heads, the pang in the white haired girl's stomach intensified with each passing second.

_Not Gaara too, not him... _her mind screamed, finally realizing the reason why the Akatsuki would go after him. _The came for him, for the Tailed Beast inside him, and they took it... But, please... let him be alright... let him be alive..._

He had been close to her, in her time in the Sand. As close as two people like them could grow in such a short amount of time, anyway. They were both mostly quiet and expressionless, serious and somehow found refuge in each other, especially with Kankuro and Gureni's constant bickering and arguing. It hadn't been easy. But, still, seeing him like this, hurt.

_''You don't... resent me?"_

_''Why would I?''_

His hoarse voice of her memories grew silent in her ears as she watched the green glow around her cousin's hands disappear, and his head dropping between his shoulders with a quiet sob. Her own tears threatened to spill from the corners of her eyes, and she fell on her knees, defeated.

''No...''

Naruto clenched his fist and teeth from behind her, as he approached his dead friend's side. 

''Why...? Why did he...? Why Gaara?" He cried, tears flowing freely down his scratched cheeks. ''Did he have to die like this? He's...He's the Kazekage! He became the Kazekage!" He exclaimed angrily.

''Calm down, Uzumaki Naruto.'' A voice Gurehai had never heard before silenced him, and she raised her heavy head, looking at the old woman that had been with the others since the beggining.

''SHUT UP!" The blond exploded, turning to glare at the adviser. ''None of this would have ever happened if you Sand Shinobi hadn't decided to put a monster inside him!" He growled. ''Did you even ask Gaara at all about how he felt? Jinchuriki, my ass...'' He became more quiet, just as Ni was about to yell at him. ''You have no right to act so self important, labeling us with what _you _created!'' He cried out.

_Naruto... stop... please, say no more..._

''Out of the way, Aoyo boy.'' Chiyo's voice now said from her right, and the twins backed away without a fight. The old ninja sat like that for a few seconds, simply staring at Gaara's face, while Gurehai stared at hers. Finally, she moved. Setting both hands on his sternum, she took a deep breath. The small shock wave the blue glow created next, almost made her stumble back.

''Granny Chiyo!" Gureichi gasped, his eyes red. ''That Jutsu, it will...'' With the look she shot him, the boy grew silent, with multiple pairs of curious eyes studying him. Neji, with his Byakugan activated, was trying to comprehend what she was doing. _A Jutsu? A secret amongst Medical Ninja?_

''You are Gurehai, am I correct?" Her shaky voice inquired, and she tore her eyes off her wrinkled, trembling hands. ''The half-blood Konohagakure Aoyo that was in Suna for some time. I heard about you... You know Gureki Aoyo, the Medical ninja? Is she fairing well, there in the Leaf?"

The girl stayed silent for a few seconds. This was the Great Chiyo, her mother's teacher, the Master Puppeteer. Yet, what was she doing to Gaara? Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she wanted to believe she was doing something to save him, that she knew how to. Looking at her, she saw the woman wasn't staring at her. Suddenly, stopped. ''_Granny Chiyo, that Jutsu, it will...'' That's what Ichi said. Don't tell me... _She glanced quickly at her hands once again. The blue glow, that she previously thought was a healing technique, now took its real form in her mind. _The blue glow, is chakra. She's transferring it to him... She's giving up her life for Gaara._

''Y-Yes.'' She finally said, succeeding in the task of calming herself enough to speak clearly. ''She is well, from what I remember.'' She wasn't going to tell that injured, dying woman anything upsetting. '' Actually...I am her and Soshimo Soraku's daughter. It's an honor to meet you, Lady Chiyo.'' With a small bow of her head, she waited for her response. 

The adviser's gaze, dull and trained on the red headed boy below her, slowly but steadily turned to meet hers. ''Daughter, you say?" She asked, a hint of confusion in her weak voice. The girl nodded her head, aware the others of the company were watching.

''Yes.''

A couple of seconds passed, which consisted of Gurehai almost feeling concerned under her dark, tired eyes. The grey haired woman then simply turned back to her patient, with a tiny nod of her head. What she said next, had the Aoyo twins frozen.

''But that can't be.'' She muttered as a matter of fact, and Gurehai visibly frowned. ''Gureki...Gureki has always been sterile.''


	44. Last Stop- Worst Of News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit's going down down baby

_''Welcome to the Village Hidden In The Sand, Aoyo Gurehai.'' The ginger Kazekage said from in front of her. Next to him, on each side, a Sand Sibling stood guard._

_''Thank you for having me.'' Was all she replied while bowing her head respectfully. _

That was their first encounter after the disastrous Chunin Exams, and also the first of many to come in the next months. The six of them had then left the sandy gates of the Village to reach the Kazekage building, where they talked business. Temari was to be her official instructor, along with Gureichi, the only one out of the two Aoyo twins to know the use of Fuuton. After that, her cousins had taken her to a smaller part of Sunagakure, littered with stone houses built close together, many abandoned buildings and shops, and one bigger residence, obviously the only inhabited one. This is the Aoyo Compound, Ichi had stated.

_''You and Naruto are the same, aren't you, Gaara?'' He looked away. ''You are a Jinchuriki, the host of a Tailed Beast.''_

_''You don't... resent me?"_

_''Why would I?" _

That was late at night, already two months in her training journey. Suiton, also taught to her by Ni, was nearly close to being perfected. She finally knew the secret of her strange meditation sessions, the ones that had her chakra reserves filled up completely after depletion. Fuuton was a real struggle, if she wanted to be truthful. To her surprise, some Chunin and Jonin had decided to join in her daily training, lifting pressure of Temari's shoulders. The joined Chunin Exams were approaching, only a handful of months away.

_''I hope you found what you were looking for in my Village.'' He said as a goodbye, the heavy gourd on his back shielding him from the villagers' prying looks. ''This is our goodbye, I suppose?"_

_''We will meet again, Lord Kazekage.'' She had bowed one last time, inwardly smiling at his expression at the mention of his title. He had specifically told her not to call him that when they addressed each other. ''Perhaps sooner than you think.''_

And now, she was staring at him from above, with the dried tears that never made it past the corners of her eyes no longer threatening to spill. She looked down at his now open eyes, the two green orbs that greeted a smiling Naruto in confusion. Sighs of relief escaped her mouth as she slowly backed away, averting her gaze the moment she caught her cousin's eyes. She was happy, but she was conflicted too, and the only one who could do anything about it was herself.

_Gureki... Gureki has always been sterile._

The last words Chiyo addressed her with wanted to take over her torn mind, and she spared the woman's limp body a glance before focusing her gaze on the ground once again, and making for anything that was away from the huge crowd of Sand shinobi now surrounding the area. Leaving them all behind, because she had to be alone.

When she was certain no one was around, and she was completely by herself under the shade the trees provided, she slammed her hand against one and let her head fall between her shoulders. With a frustrated grunt, she tightened her fingers around the wood, and the bark cracked under them.

''Sterile? Sterile?!" She let out, more dumbfounded than angry. Reaping her hand away from the poor tree, she span around and her back hit it instead. Sliding down with her wrapped wrists being buried in her white locks, she rested her elbows on her bare knees.

_Could she be wrong? _One part of her suggested, desperately trying to be heard over the other, chaos-wreaking one. _Couldn't she just be mistaken? So many years have passed... a woman her age isn't impossible to have memory blanks. She has to be mistaken. I am an Aoyo. She and I both are. Our blue eyes, of the Blue Sun._

The crest she knew was pressed against her back suddenly seemed to itch.

_She's sterile, not my mother, she's not my mother... And was Soshimo not my father? Was my Soraku heritage a lie along, too? But I have the Taorigan in me, ready to be awakened, so why? Why lie? Why more lies? Who made me? Where do I belong? Who..._

Her eyes, up until now closed shut, fluttered open and instinctively flickered to the pure white tresses hanging in front of her face. Both halves of her mind simultaneously showed her the image of Jiraiya, and she swallowed the lump carrying the bitter taste of betrayal in her throat. In silence, she glared at the grass between her legs, and took long, deep breaths.

_...Who am I?_

''Gurehai?" A voice in the distance called, obviously still far away. Her ears recognized it immediately, and her face unwillingly scrunched up. ''Gurehai?" Gureni shouted again, this time closer.

She didn't want him to come, not him, not Ichi, not even her comrades from Konoha. He didn't want the twins to come and confront her, even if they had the answers she was looking for. But she didn't want to cause a scene, not when Gaara had suddenly come back to life, not when he had gotten saved, so she pursed her lips, stood up, shed every trace of disdain from her face, and turned to her 'cousin'. Her expression was one of pure indifference.

''Gurehai?" He called one last time, before coming to a halt a few feet in front of her. His face visibly fell the moment he laid eyes on her, and blue met blue in a silent battle. _Not again, _his mind groaned over and over, as he studied her. She was quiet, her face like stone. The emotions he had worked hard over the years for her to show, had transformed into an expressionless mask. _Not again. _''Chiyo-...''

''I don't really care.'' She cut him off. After realizing she sounded too harsh, she gulped and tried again. ''She obviously made a mistake, anyway. I don't think it's impossible, for someone her age.'' Ni said nothing, as she walked past him. ''I can always just ask mother when we get back home. Now, let's go to the others. I want to see Gaara.''

Without another word, she headed back.

The sun was beggining to set, as the Sand Shinobi wordlessly made way for her to pass through the crowd. Men and women easily recognized her, and she even saw some familiar faces, but didn't stop to greet anyone. Gaara's back was turned to her, as he had Naruto helping him up. They were staring at Chiyo's lifeless body, being held by Sakura.

''I told you we'd meet again, didn't I, Lord Kazekage?" The sound of her voice had him turning around almost immediately.

''Gurehai.''

\----

The next day, the last goodbye at Chiyo's grave was said.

Gurehai and the twins were there as well, the first standing a little farther than everyone else. She didn't know Chiyo. She hardly even met her. And still, those few mintues were enough to leave a wound in her mind. 

_Gureki... Gureki has always been sterile._

''Naruto-kun, Sakura-chan, it's time to leave.'' Lee urged the two teens who had stayed behind a while longer, and the three Aoyos walked to bid the Sand Siblings farewell.

''I feel like you are leaving too soon.'' Gaara said, thankfully in better health than he was the previous day. The Kunoichi stared down at him with a hint of regret in her eyes.

''I can't help it, really.'' She replied, genuinely sorry. ''I've been away from Konoha for far too long, and I honestly can't wait to get back there as soon as possible.'' _And hopefully get some answers. _''Though... I am very happy you are alright, Gaara. That you are _alive._''

The boy looked at her and nodded, just as the others of the company made their way towards them. ''Farewell, Aoyo Gurehai.''

''Farewell, Gaara of the Sand.'' She was tempted to say 'Lord Kazekage', just for a second. But then she remembered why she had retreated to her old character, and decided against it. Instead, she bowed her head slightly and backed away for her friends to have their turn. ''What about the two of you?" She asked her cousins. ''Is this where we say farewell, too?"

''Of course not, you imbecile.'' Ni exclaimed, an almost offended expression gracing the features he shared with his brother. ''Our duty was to take you from Konoha, and return there with you when the training journey was over. We're not leaving until you're back home, and we have talked to the Hokage. Meaning, you'll have to stand us for the following days.''

''Alright.'' She just agreed, turning her head to watch the exchange between Naruto and the red headed Kage. From beside her, she could feel the twins tense, and she thought she knew why. _I'm being indifferent and expressionless again, just like when they met me, three years ago. _She didn't have to glance at them to know the younger twin was the most affected by her sudden change of heart. 

Ni had been the most... enthusiastic, back when their journey together first started. Some would even say he was _aiming _to get Gurehai to be more emotional, and eventually he had succeeded. Occasional chuckles had come first, followed by silent smiles whenever he and Ichi would bicker about silly things. Finally, open laughter and casual jokes were what made him proud. She recalled one moment in particular, the moment she realized she cared for them as family. ''Finally.'' Ni had pointed his finger at her laughing face, with his own shit-eating grin permanent. ''You don't act like a statue anymore.''

And now, it looked like those things had never happened, with her strict as ever... and he blamed Chiyo.

Twenty minutes into their way back, Tenten frowned from next to Gurehai, and pouted. With her hands on her hips, she abruptly stopped walking and turned around. 

''Sensei!" She shouted at Guy, who had fallen behind with a tired Kakashi being supported by him. ''You guys are too slow!" She complained, and the black haired Jonin cringed. 

The white haired Aoyo, who was travelling between Tenten and Neji, craned her neck to take a look at the situation, and scowled at the other duo, right behind her. ''Hey, the two of you.'' She demanded. ''What are you just standing like that for? Help out the injured comrade!" The twins inwardly groaned at the suggestion, glancing at the grey haired Jonin and his helper. Thankfully for them, they were saved the following second by Guy.

''That won't be necessary, Gurehai...'' He growled, before letting out a frustrated cry. Next thing everyone knew, the man had thrown the Hatake in the air, and he landed right onto the green-clad ninja's back. ''Now this way, it'll be faster!" He cried, and winked. 

Not having to look at her friends' faces to guess their reactions -who were actually akin to her own-, the Aoyo awkwardly turned back around and proceeded to continue her way towards the Village. Tenten, along with a glowering Neji who had just refused a similar offer from Lee, were quick to follow her lead, just as Guy shoot forward and left them behind.

''That's just plain weird, 'ttebay-AAAAAAH!'' Naruto started saying but was quickly interrupted... by both Aoyo twins, rushing past him, and Ni grabbing his hand in the process. ''WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, YOU IDENTICAL BASTARDS?!"

''Just helping you out, Naruto-kun!" Ichi simply shrugged, watching as his brother hoisted the blond up his back easily. ''We figured you'd have problems catching up with everyone else with those short legs of yours, and thought you could use a hand.'' Fuming, Naruto screeched.

''You're still going on about that, bastards? Let me DOW-...''

''Don't listen to him, Ichi! We have to hurry up, and catch up with the other two! Come on!" Gureni shamelessly interrupted the Uzumaki, who frantically looked around, seeking help. Hearing Neji gasp from next to her, her gaze snapped sideways to see that Lee had snatched his backpack from his shoulders, using it as extra weight.

''I'M THE ONE WHO'S GOING TO BE SECOND AFTER GUY-SENSEI!" Was all he declared, before leaving his teammates, Gurehai and Sakura to venture by themselves. The blue eyed Kunoichi took a moment to stare at the six males slowly disappearing in the distance, and couldn't stop herself from letting her had fall back and groaning.

''I can't believe four of them are supposed to be Jonin.'' She closed her eyes, simply thinking to herself. ''Ridiculous.''

''Don't go insulting my Rank, now.'' Neji said from next to her, making her slowly turn her head. ''I refused to join Lee.''

_Rank? _Her mind got momentarily confused, before clearing up. _''_So you did become a Jonin after all, huh? Can't say I didn't expect it.'' Glancing at the Hyuga to find him looking at her with a somewhat smug expression, she chuckled and regained her composure. ''We should probably follow them now. I don't really want the twins arriving before me and spoiling my return.''

''By the way, Gurehai...'' A smaller voice inquired, a few minutes after the restart of their trip. Sakura now stood on her right, while Neji had moved to her left with Tenten next to him. ''...What did your training consist of?" She asked, with no sign of sarcasm or scorn evident in her forest green eyes. Perhaps taking a second too long staring at her fellow Team 7 member, she eventually shrugged.

_That's right... _she thought, recalling the last time they'd met. _She's... changed._

''Many things, but basically Ninjutsu, Taijutsu and Genjutsu.'' She explained. ''Ichi was very insistent on the latter these past few months, though. I suspect he's self-conscious about my Kyokugomon surpassing his own techniques...''

\----

To say that Izumo and Kotetsu were having a _very _dull weekend, would be an understatement.

In fact, that was the only word worth describing their everyday life the past few months. The Hokage had sent them back to Gate guard duties without hearing another word ages ago, and they were currently sitting on their usual spots, behind the desk by the Village entrance. Half asleep and bored, they watched stray dogs chase each other around, as always.

This had been going on for quite some time now. Shikamaru had also been busy with Team 10 issues and escorting the Sand's ambassador, so they only had each other for company. Above all... the Chunin Four squad had basically dispersed after the departure of its captain, and they hadn't been on a mission since forever, either. 

That's why, when Guy and Lee arrived screaming and cheering through the Village Gates, they shot up from their seats. Before they had any chance to comment on the situation, however, a different scream rang through the air.

''WE ARE HERE NOW, BASTARDS! LET ME GO!" Naruto demanded, dizzily hitting the back of Ni's head.

''Damn it, we came third!" The Aoyo cursed, as he skidded to a stop a few steps next to Guy and Kakashi. When Ichi joined him a second later, he pouted and shot his opponents a nasty glare. ''It's not fair, too. They had a head start, and the blond pipsqueak wouldn't stop pestering me the entire time!"

''That's because you grabbed me against my will, teme! Who said I wanted anything to do with this stupid race, anyway? There was a reason I decided to walk in the front of the group, and that was to avoid you!" The Uzumaki accused, still trashing around against the Jonin's hold. Izumo and Kotetsu gaped.

''Hey, Izumo...'' The black haired man nudged his partner, who watched the scene unfold, perplexed. ''...Say... aren't those two Gurehai-taichou's identical cousins? The ones that left with her on a journey, nearly three years ago?" His answer, however, didn't come in the form of Izumo's reply, but rather the girl's very own voice.

''Oi, Ni. Let Naruto down already.'' She called from their right, making them freeze. ''I think he's going to be sick. Do you want his vomit all over your back?" Stepping forward from between her comrades, she rested a hand on her lower hip. ''Seriously, the four of you are absolutely ridic-...''

Her sentence couldn't have been interrupted by someone other than Kotetsu, pouncing on her from behind, and yelling... ''GUREHAI-TAICHOU!" His cry echoed louder than Naruto's earlier one, making even an almost passed-out Kakashi groan uncomfortably. ''It's you, right? You're back to Konoha! Izumo, it really is her! YEAH!"

Having stumbled forward and gotten dangerously close to falling with him on top of her, Gurehai quickly caught herself and regained her balance. Then with a small pant, she trained her left eye on the attacker.

''...Kotetsu?" 

''It's me! Oh, thank Kami you came back, taichou! Izumo, let's go to Tsunade-sama! No, go pack! No, wait, wait, WAIT! We have to go grab Shikamaru first! Let's go on a mission, everyone, the Chunin Four are BACK!" A second, later, a bandaged hand was raised and clamped on his mouth, muffling his next suggestions. After a confused groan, his black orbs finally settled on the Kunoichi.

''It's good to see you too, Kotetsu.'' She slightly looked down at him gave him a half-sarcastic, half-playful smile, momentarily forgetting the reason she was originally grumpy. _Looking down at him is so strange... why do I have to be looking down at everyone? _''But I'm afraid no one is going to be leaving for missions for a while. I have many things to do before going back in my old duties.''

Silence on the man's end followed her decision, and she found him looking at her with a dumbfounded expression, resulting to her frowning. Just as she thinking she might have been a little harsh, the other Chunin suddenly squinted at her and took a step closer, almost pressing himself on her. _Oh, _she finally realized, trying to fight down the chuckle about to break through her facade. _So that's what got to him, _came next, when he raised his eyes to blink at her from where they were naturally gazing at her nostrils.

''Are you... taller than me?" 

''So it would seem.''

His brow twitched.

''BUT YOU WERE THREE INCHES SHORTER THAN ME WHEN YOU LEFT!" He wailed, dramatically throwing his hands in the air. Izumo was quick to wrap his arms around him and start dragging him away, shooting her a smile. ''This isn't fair! I don't want to be the shortest member of the Four!''

Gurehai simply shook her head and looked away from their retreating forms, promising the duo that they would arrange another meeting soon. Then, she casted a disapproving glance at her injured sensei passed out on Guy's back.

''You should probably take Kakashi-sensei to the Hospital before reporting to the Hokage's office, everyone. He's really isn't looking well.'' She suggested, before taking a few steps forward. ''Unfortunately, I won't be joining you. I want to go home first, and see my mother... It has been years, after all.'' She turned around to address Gureni, who was standing closest to her. The Aoyo didn't notice how her comrades eyes glazed over at the mention of her destination. She also didn't notice Neji stopping Sakura with his hand when she opened her mouth to say something. ''Will you be coming?"

''Gure-san?" Naruto questioned while not giving the boy a chance to reply, before grinning. ''All right! I'm coming too! I didn't have any time at all to visit since I came myself, you know. Do you think she has any of that desert prepared? Man, I sure missed her cooking!" The white haired Chunin chuckled. 

''I'm sure she'll be delighted to see you again, too.'' With a ruffle of his hair, she looked expectantly at her mentors. ''Come on, you two. I'm not going to wait for you. I'll see you later, everyone. Probably at the Hospital, checking on Kakashi-sensei. See you!'' That was the last thing she said, before an equally as her eager Naruto took her by the hand and ran off.

The Village Hidden in the Leaves hadn't changed, and that was comforting. It had the same busy streets, even if it was a bit early in the morning, the same colorful shops and houses, the same ever lasting noise of utensils clanging and people chatting. Ninjas walked leisurely around wearing flak jackets, civilians went on shopping and conversing as their children ran around, playing. _It feels nice to be back. _

And it felt even better when they finally left the buzzing markets behind, and reached a more residential area. There was a considerably larger amount of green here, with trees and bushes popping out everywhere, and the small canals close to the training grounds. And then, with a feeling of relief washing over her, she spotted her house. 

The Soraku-or Aoyo, since a couple of years ago- residence, wasn't much, but still stood beautiful, as always, in her eyes. A wooden, two-storey structure with a large porch and plenty of grass surrounding it, with some flower pots here and there, hanging from the bottom of the balconies above. Many of the plants were in bloom despite the September chill, and a fleeting thought of worry passed her mind as she imagined Gureki must have been moving around more than usual to take care of them. With a last spurt of speed, she left her companion behind and made for the fence around the property. Once jumping over it, ignoring the door a few steps away, she headed for the front door, but stopped.

_What am I going to say to her? _Was all she could think, as her hand hovered above the handle. _After the greetings, what am I going to do? Ask her if she can't have children? _All her previous worries seemed to choose that exact moment to overwhelm her, but thankfully, she had learned how to properly deal with her stupid emotions years ago.

She opened the door just as Naruto caught up to her, and approached from behind with an excited smile on his face. With her first step inside, came the familiar scent of home... as well as a confused and very surprised female voice.

''G-Gurehai?"

The voice was familiar but not the one she was expecting to hear, just like the person she saw once she turned her head to the direction of the kitchen. A pretty face framed with long blonde tresses stared back at her, with light blue eyes wide open in shock. The girl left her spot behind the counter, and approached the newcomers.

''Ino?" Came Gurehai's very own exclamation of confusion, right before a smile bloomed in the Yamanaka's features. 

''Wow... it' really you...'' Ino muttered, looking her up and down. ''You've come back, and you look... you look so different, you know! But, not in a bad way or anything, just... It's good to have you back!'' _I must have really changed, for everyone to be reacting like this, _the Aoyo pondered, still not able to shake the feeling of confusion off herself. _But still... what is she doing here?_

''Well, it's good to be back.'' She eventually said, a little cautious. Not taking notice of the twins arriving as well a few feet behind her, she walked closer to the other Kunoichi. ''What are you doing here, Ino? Surely, you couldn't have heard about my arrival already, could you?"

''Oh, no, no.'' Was the answer, laced with a tone of curiosity. ''I am here for your mother. I have been coming for weeks now, actually.'' Her previously cheerful expression had completely vanished, and something in Gurehai's gut told her something was very, very wrong. Without realizing, she started seeking out Gureki's presence in the house. _For what reason?_

''My mother?'' The question had a lingering discomfort in it, almost as if it pained her to force the words out. _Don't tell me something happened to her again. Did she fall? Is it her leg? _A faint presence on the second floor made the back of her neck tingle. ''Did something happen?"

''Well, you know... I've been taking care of her.'' Ino hesitantly answered, a little worried herself. ''H-her condition-...''

''What condition?" Came the harsh demand, before she could even finish her sentence. The look on the white haired teenager's face was threatening. ''What condition, Ino?" And finally, her senses locked on Gureki's presence, and she was bolting up the stairs like lighting. _It feels strange, and uncharacteristically cold. It feels weak... it feels..._

The small wooden hallway of the second floor was made short work by her fast legs, and her ears didn't even bother to pay attention to the warning shouts coming from downstairs. She reached the last door, came to a skidding halt in front of it, and immediately looked inside.

_...Sick._

''No.''

Her knees buckled as her blue eyes settled on the center of the bedroom. At the opposite side of a dresser adorned with photographs, a single figure lay on a queen sized bed. Its hair was more grey than black now, and its body too weak and thin to belong to a 36-year-old woman. Gureki Aoyo had her eyes closed, and her wrinkled face was a combination of peacefulness and discomfort.

''Gure-san...'' Naruto whispered from the room's entrance the following moment, just as she fell down on her knees by the bed. Eyes wracking the motionless woman up and down, her expression turned more and more pained by the second.

She didn't look like the mother she left behind two and a half years ago. That mother was healthy, smiling, that mother was _alive. _This one looked frail, abnormally thinner, weak. This Gureki had hollowed cheeks and dark bags under her eyes, this Gureki was _aged_.

''Wha... what happened to her?" The Chunin felt her breath hitch in her throat, as she moved her hand to grasp her mother's. It was skinny, and its skin was rough. ''Why is she like this? _How long _has she been sick like this?" Ino gulped down the lump in her throat. _How couldn't she have known? _ Walking to the opposite side of the bed, she stared down at the scene with pity in her eyes. Ichi clenched his jaw and looked away.

''Gurehai...''

Her eyes grew misty.

''...She's been like this for almost a year.''


	45. The Devastating Truth

_''Gurehai...''_

_Her eyes grew misty._

_''...She's been like this for almost a year.''_

She could only stared at the body before her, and hold her mother's hand. Wanting nothing more than to see her open the blue eyes she had missed so much and smile, the realization that it would probably never happen dawned on her with those few words. 

''A year?" She spoke without realizing it, unable to comprehend the fact that she had been suffering like this for that long... and that she hadn't been there to go go through it together. The breath she inhaled next trembled in her flared nostrils. ''Isn't there a cure? What... what does she even _have_?"

''It's neither an illness nor a disease.'' One of the twins answered before Ino had any chance to open her mouth, and the tone of voice immediately alerted Gurehai of its owner. The passiveness was almost sickening.''It's simply a condition. And as for your other question, no, there isn't a cure. There has never been and there will never be, because what is wrong with her is her own body.''

''What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto asked next, nowhere nearly as carefree as he usually sounded. His question however was never answered, because the next thing that came out of Gureichi's mouth was a choked grunt.

''You knew about this?" Gureni seethed, holding his brother up a foot from the floor. ''You knew it had started, and you didn't say a word?" Ichi only looked back at his furious orbs with an angry expression of his own, and forced the Jonin's hands away from his collar.

''Yes.''

Betrayal was the only word swimming around Gurehai's mind for the next moments, and she was so shocked, she couldn't even find her face able to form a proper expression. Tightening her fist around the bed sheets she had previously grabbed, her bottom lip trembled dangerously.

''Get out of my house.'' She demanded with a deadly calm voice, making everyone's heads turn to her kneeling form. Letting her white locks cover her face, she kept herself from doing something she'd later regret. ''Get out of my house now, or I swear no one in this room will be able to hold me back.'' The underlying threat of the second sentence made the younger twin release the older, and he stepped out of the room without a second glance. 

''Gureha-...''

''Join him, Ni.'' She instantly cut him off, not looking away from Gureki. ''I want neither of you around me right now. I'll come outside in a while... And I will demand answers.'' Missing the hurt look in his features, she took another breath. ''Many of them.''

When the echo of his footsteps finally reached the front door, the Aoyo found the courage to look up and talk to Ino, who was observing the scene quietly. ''Tell me about her. How did it start? How bad is she now?"

''Like I said... it's almost been a year since she got bedridden... but from what she told me while she could still talk, it started way before that. Nausea and dizziness, sometimes she even lost consciousness and was admitted to the Hospital.''

''But that... that happened once before I even left Konoha.'' Gurehai breathlessly said, recalling how her mother had the 'accident' and needed medical attention. It was almost three years ago, the week after the Akatsuki's attack. She had woken up in her own Hospital bed, and was informed by the newly-appointed Fifth Hokage that Gureki as being hospitalized. She had been unconscious for weeks... Had that really been it? ''And what do you mean by... 'when she could still talk'?"

''I'm sorry, Gurehai.'' The blonde told her, tears now evident in the corners of her eyes. ''She... she hasn't been able to speak since about two months ago. She grew too weak for that eventually. That's why when I volunteered to help, we decided on some simple hand gestures together... to best communicate, you know? And she wrote to me as well. She can understand everything I say to her, but she only responds the way she feels comfortable with. I give her o eat only once a day, too. Her stomach can't hold down more. I've already given her some breakfast.''

_She volunteered... to help? Ino? Yamanaka Ino? The Yamanaka Ino I know? _She couldn't believe what was happening with the woman in front of her, and now she was getting one shock after another. _How am I supposed to thank her? _

''Is she sleeping right now?" She managed to ask eventually, ignoring the obvious argument that was taking place on the yard outside. The window was open to allow fresh air in, and the twins' voices weren't very humble, either. ''How can you tell when she's awake?''

''She usually opens her eyes or moves her hands.'' Came the reply, but unfortunately followed by more bad news. ''Though... she hasn't opened them for five days now. Her eyes, I mean.'' Another pang of emotional pain it her, just as she realized that was the day Ichi announced that their raining journey was over... and that they were returning to the Leaf. ''She talked a lot about you.''

''She did?"

''Yeah. Nothing too embarrassing, don't worry.'' She attempted to chuckle, but didn't really succeed. ''But... she did insist on one thing, the entire time she was able to speak. She always said that she wouldn't allow herself to go, before she saw you again. Just once more. 'I have things to tell her, Ino. And some apologies to make.' That was... that was probably the last thing she wrote, before she didn't have much energy to completely lift her hands.''

_Things to tell me, and apologies to make... Don't tell me... was Chiyo telling the truth, after all? _

''Gurehai... you don't have to answer if you don't want to, really... but Gureki-san said that what is going on is related to your clan's Dojutsu.'' That made the blue eyed girl freeze and the Uzumaki perk up. ''I didn't't know you had a Dojutsu at all, but... well, that's not what I'm trying to say!'' If possible, her voice, which was the softest both Gurehai and Naruto had ever heard it be, grew worried. ''If it's because of your Dojutsu... then... does that mean this will happen to you, too?"

She was not given a chance to speak.

Gureki's skin started burning, tingling against her own with a sudden disrupted flow of chakra. Her body, previously completely still, shuddered out of nowhere. Startled, Gurehai grabbed her mother's hand and frantically ran her eyes over her frail frame. 

''What's happening, 'ttebayo?" Naruto stole the words from the tip of her tongue, joining her by the side of the bed. When the spasms continued, the Yamanaka took action.

''I got it, I got it.'' Ino reassured them and rushed forward, placing her outstretched palms a couple of inches away from the woman's face, right above her closed eyes. A bright green glow surrounded them, and it needed less than five seconds to take effect. The older Aoyo's body calmed down, her temperature returned to its normal heights, and Gurehai noticed a slight but evident change in her breathing patterns.

''What was that?" She asked, rubbing circles with her thumb over the back of the woman's palm.

''It's some kind of seizure.'' Ino wasted not time in explaining.'' It happens every few days, and... it usually leaves her in a slightly worse condition than before.'' The last part made all three teens sigh. ''According to Tsunade-sama, the seizures are connected to disruptions in her chakra flow, with the starting points being the ones around the eyes. She helped me and Sakura develop a way to use medical Ninjutsu in order to cease the outbursts, but... it only helps with the pains in her head. The 'rioting' chakra is forced to evenly spread to other chakra points of the body she can no longer move.''

_Sakura... Sakura helped? _''She was in pain? B-but... how can her chakra be disturbed like this? Why...'' She trailed off. _The Taorigan... when one of the minimum of the three people required for the Dojutsu to be unlocked die, their chakra enter the Aoyo's body... through the eyes. So it really is to blame... damn it... damn it... _''Damn it. I knew I shouldn't have left her alone, I knew it.''

Underneath her own, Gueki's fingers tightened around her palm.

''She's awake!" Naruto smiled, his cerulean eyes gleaming.

''Mother?" Gurehai hesitantly asked, never taking her eyes off unmoving face. ''It's me, Gurehai. I'm here... I've come home.'' The grip around her fingers remained, though slowly growing loose. ''You can hear and understand me, right?" Instead of using her left one, the Aoyo now used her right hand, and slowly moved her fingers in a few different ways. At that, Ino turned away and reached for a small bowl filled with water on the desk under the window.

''She wants me to clean her eyes.'' The blonde explained to the two friends, while wetting a cloth and softly dabbing it over and around both the Chunin's closed lids. ''I think she wants to open them, Gurehai. To see you.''

_Do it. Open your eyes, mother. I'm here. I'm never leaving you again... Not until the end._

She could hear her trying to regulate her breathing. And finally, a few seconds later, her heavy eyes lids slowly opened, and her now pale orbs focused on her. A smile unknowingly made its way on the Kunoichi's face, accompanied by a few unspilled tears. Gureki's eyes widened a fraction upon taking in her daughter's blurry features. When her vision cleared, and she acknowledged the long white tresses of hair flowing own her shoulders, she felt like crying. Two fingers rose from her side, outstretching as far as they could, before making a sloppy circle and finally falling limp, soon followed by the closing of her eyes.

''What did she say?" Gurehai asked, never ceasing the caressing of the woman's hand.

''Beautiful.'' Was all Ino replied, before her emotions got to her and the corners of her eyes betrayed her. ''She said you're beautiful.''

The young Aoyo brought their joined hands to her face, and lightly placed them to her forehead, letting out a small laugh. _I thought I'd told you before, mother... _She shook her head and softly placed her hand back down on the bed, standing up in the process. Leaving a feather-like kiss on Gureki's forehead, she excused herself. ''I will be back in a few minutes, mother. And I'll tell you everything about what happened while I was away, alright? Wait for me.'' The truth was, she didn't feel like she'd have time to tell her anything. 

_...Only half of my face is beautiful._

She left the Yamanaka to watch over her until she returned, and made her way down the stairs with Naruto a step behind and a determined look on her face. As shaken as she was by the unpredictable turn of events, she was still angry and seeking for explanations... and those explanations lay with her cousins.

She found both waiting in the middle of the yard, staring each other down surrounded by thick grass. When she exited the house their heads turned to her, but immediately narrowed when they caught glimpse of the blonde Uzumaki close behind. Not missing a heartbeat, Ichi seemed to erase the conversation he'd just been having with his brother, and spoke first.

''We'll be discussing a sensitive topic.'' He said, making Gurehai stop a few feet away from him with a frown in her face. ''Are you sure you want your teammate here?" At that, the girl glowered.

''That 'teammate' you speak of is probably the only person worth trusting between the four of us.'' She jabbed, too upset to care about hurting their feelings. ''Over the years, I've grown proud to call Naruto family. Not so sure I can say the same things about you, though.''

''We never lied to you-...''

''Talk about yourself.''

''Never lied to me? Don't make me laugh.'' Gurehai ignored Ni's spiteful comment towards his twin, and continued as she'd never heard it. ''The things I found out about _mother_ aside, I can easily find myself doubting almost every piece of information you've ever told me. You said you had told me everything there was to know about our clan and its Dojutsu, two years ago. And today, I learn that she is dying from some Taorigan side-effect I have no knowledge of. It doesn't even make sense. She hasn't awakened it!"

''It has nothing to do with awakening it. It's the opposite, actually.'' Ichi stated with an irritation of is own. ''You must be suspecting something yourself, after the things the Yamanaka girl told you. Headaches starting mainly from the chakra points around the eyes, seizures and chakra distortions. That's the price every Aoyo eventually pays.''

''Exactly, more lies! Why did you never tell me anything about this? If the chakra of every Taorigan 'victim' enters our body, and is bound to start causing body damage after a certain amount of years, then why keep it hidden? It's obviously deadly!" She threw her hand at the direction of the open window belonging to Gureki's bedroom, and fumed. ''Does that mean the same is going to happen to you, too? To me?"

''Only if you don't awaken it.'' Gureni joined the conversation, leaving Naruto completely lost and shocked.

''You're saying that as if I have intention on doing so.'' She growled, glaring at the younger twin. ''You think I would ever kill someone I love just to save myself and gain power? Someone like mother, Naruto, the two of you, my comrades? Which brings me to my first and most important question. Why didn't you say anything?"

Ichi and Ni hesitated, and it was evident. Then, the medical ninja went on again. ''Isn't the answer obvious? If we told you that last information about the Taorigan, then you would figure out Gureki was in immediate danger. Are you going to deny the fact that you would have abandoned the training journey in order to come back to Konoha and be with her?"

''Of course I'm not. I would have fought you to come back if I knew!"

''And that exactly why we kept it hidden!" Ni said, a hint of something uneasy in his blue orbs. ''You would have abandoned the journey, the one created to make you stronger. What if the Akatsuki captured you while you left us behind? Nobody knows what they would do if they got their hands on you and the Taorigan. You would honestly jeopardize the safety of every Land for one person?"

''She's my mother!" Gurehai barked.

''And she's our sister! You think we don't love her? That it doesn't pain us to see her that way? The reason why I didn't even tell Ni, is because he could easily slip up and let you in on her condition!'' The white haired girl managed to calm herself down enough after that, and took a forced deep breath.

''Oh, yes. And now, we've come to another lie.'' With a more quiet but also more poisonous tone of voice, she raised her eyes to address the both of them. ''Sister. You just said 'sister'. If mother is your sister, then doesn't that make the two of you my uncles? Why would you introduce yourselves as my cousins? Why?"

''And I'll say it again, like I said it before. We never lied to you, unlike others. About anything. There's a big difference between lying and concealing the truth, and that's what we did.''

''So it all comes down to this, huh? You aren't denying it. Chiyo was right when she said Gureki has always been sterile, so she's not my mother. And, if she's not my mother, then you are not my uncles, and therefore you weren't lying about being my cousins, is that it?'' Not waiting for an answer, she continued her questions. ''I'm not... Gureki and Soshimo aren't my parents.'' Somehow, saying it out loud and not being told she's wrong hurt more than simply realizing it. ''Another thing I was never told. Another thing you said nothing about. How long were you, my _family_, going to wait to tell me? Did a stranger have to seriously just mention it for me to suspect it?"

''Telling you wasn't _our _responsibility.'' The black haired Jonin claimed, in a more calm but firm voice. The anger from his face steadily disappeared, and its place took... disdain. ''That's the job of our sister and your biological father.''

''Well, where is he then?" Sarcasm and was threatening to lace her words, as the amount of several days' suppressed emotions hit her all at once . ''Mother is dying. She can't move, she can't speak, she's barely _alive_. Where is he? Do I have to stumble upon _another_ person from _another_ Land to find out? Do I know him? Who is my father, huh? Who is he?''

''I am.''

Those two words made the twins tense up, and Gurehai's eyes to instantly snap towards the direction of the deep voice. Naruto followed her gaze soon after, and his mouth fell open. He hadn't changed at all since she last saw him, nearly three years ago. The only exception, though, was the fact that his expression wasn't the same cheerful one she was used to. It was solemn, and full of regret.

''P-Pervy-Sage?"

He was standing by the tree on the far end of the garden, with his arms limp at his sides. She was aware her eyes were wide, she was aware her lips were parted in surprise. And she hated herself for it. _So stupid. I am so, so stupid. Why did I never notice? How did I never notice? My hair. It's always been my hair. _She wanted to hit herself for her ignorance. How? Looking at him intensely, without uttering a word, the realization that she was basically a younger, female blue-eyed version of the Sannin came crashing down on her. _He'd been here, under my nose, the entire time._

Nobody made even the smallest of sounds, either watching or taking part on the stare down. She wanted to open her mouth, scream at him, and then scream at herself, and at everyone who had ever kept it hidden. Dead and alive.

_Why? Why? Why? Why lie like this? Why not tell me the day you met me, three years ago? Why not say anything? Why... Why give me away? Why pretend? Who knew? Who knows about this? Lord Third, was he in this too? Kakashi-sensei, does he know? Why did mother- why did Gureki lie? Why... why can't I have a life, exempt of lies?_

All those questions circled her mind, burned the tip of her tongue, and she didn't care if they were going to slip out or not, in furious barks and hurt whimpers. The second she opened her mouth to take the small breath required for the task, was the second another flare of chakra made the skin of her back tingle with discomfort. Her head instantly snapped to the open window of the second floor, and she tensed. Something was wrong. Something was definitely wrong, especially since it was undoubtedly another seizure, and Ino said they happened once every few _days. _

_I can't stay here with them anymore... I have nothing to say._

She completely turned her back to them and locked eyes with the open window. 

''You can go back to the Sand now.'' _For all I care, _she almost added, but knew that it was a lie she was going to regret. The twins stared at her back quietly. ''You brought me back to Konoha. You saw your sister. Your mission is over.'' With that, she took a couple of more steps, and landed softly on Gureki's windowsill with a swift chakra-enhanced jump.

The blonde Yamanaka was once again treating the woman with her green chakra, making her calm down. When she was done, Gurehai slowly and carefully entered the room, approaching the bed and standing next to the Medical ninja. 

''It's bad, isn't it?" She asked, keeping an eye out for the bedridden Aoyo and her movements. ''That second seizure shouldn't have happened, am I right?"

''Yes.'' Ino sadly replied, shaking her head. ''It should have happened until at least three days from now. I don't know... The shortest time between two seizures so far has been two days, around 50 hours. But that was three weeks ago, and I thought it was just a one-time occasion. I think... I think the conversation outside made her upset.''

''You both heard it then, didn't you?''

''I-... yes. We did.''

''Ino, I don't know how to thank you for what you've done for her. I really don't.'' She admitted, turning to look at her. The younger girl's expression was one of shock. Outside, words were being exchanged, but nobody gave them any mind. ''All I can say, is thank you. But I would like to stay alone with her now. You are free to go home for now, or wherever you need. I'll see you tomorrow morning, alright?"

''Yes, of course. I understand.'' She nodded, picking up a bag from next to the desk. ''I'm sure you have things to.. discuss.'' With that, she gave an awkward smile and made her way to the door.

''And, Ino?" The Chunin stopped. ''I would really appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about what occurred outside and what you heard.'' Her words were kind, but her message clear and her voice firm.

''Of course.''

She waited until the sound of the front door closing reached her ears, and then grabbed the wooden chair from next to the desk and carried it next to the left side of the bed, in front of the door. She sat down when the conversation outside died down, probably because of Ino's appearance. There was no sign either of the twins were still present, not even their faint presence. Only Naruto, stating something before walking back to the porch and staying there, his footsteps loud on wood. 

She looked down and put her hand on top of Gureki's once more. She was awake, judging by her breathing patterns. Gurehai clasped her fingers with the woman's, and stared emotionlessly at her wrinkled face. After a while, she bent forward, took her other hand, and placed it on her abdomen.

''I have many things to ask you, but less so to say.'' She started, paying close attention to her mother's right hand, and its fingers. ''First I want to tell you that I've been completely fine the last years I was away. I'm alright, and healthy. I was taught many things, and I can tell you with certainty that the shinobi I am now can not be compared to the one that left Konoha. Just like it was planned. But I'm afraid...'' A lump formed in her throat. Inhaling and swallowing it down, she continued. ''...I'm afraid that I won't be able to come true to my word. The promise that I made you all those years ago, about showing you all the Jutsu I created, can't be fulfilled.''

After a short pause, she realized she was now at the start of the interrogation she dreaded.

''I'm going to ask you a lot of questions, and I want you to please answer them truthfully.'' _For this once, I think I deserve it. _''I know you don't have the energy to do much, so just tap your finger to indicate a positive answer. If you don't, I will assume your answer is negative. Is that alright?"

Gureki's right index finger slowly rose and then fell back down against the covers drawn up to her chest. 

''Was it your decision that Ichi didn't let me in on your condition?" Tap. A sigh escaped her lips. _She knows me too well. Was that what she was thinking too? That I would abandon my training to come to her? _''Did you know what was going to happen to you?" Tap. ''Had it started before I left the Village?" Two seconds of silence. Then, came another tap. 

Her jaw clenched. Closing her eyes for a few moments, she forced herself to stay calm. ''I know you heard the conversation that took place outside a while ago. I want to confirm a few things. Is Jiraiya my real father?" Tap. Involuntarily, her grip tightened around the Medical ninja's hand. ''And who... who is my biological mother?" She knew that the answer she was trying to get, was impossible. She couldn't talk, so how would Gureki tell her. _I'll have to ask him, eventually... I'll have to talk to Jiraiya._

Unexpectedly, a thin hand rose from the bed, the pointer finger slowly outstretching. Following its movements with her breath hitching in her throat, Gurehai watched as she pointed at something ahead of her. Next thing she knew, she was locking eyes with two black haired women. 

Standing up, she walked to the wooden comforter and looked down at the various picture frames. Her heart clenched. It was Gureki and Soshimo, smiling at each other, a photograph obviously taken many years ago. Then Gureki and Gurehai in one, and Gurehai and Soshimo in another, and...

Right on the center of the wooden surface, was a picture frame different than the others. The wood was cracked around the edges and the photo itself was a bit tattered, and obviously taken decades ago. However, the two people in it could be made out clearly. 

One of them was Gureki. It could be no one else, despite how young and... happy, she looked. The girl could not be older than Gurehai, definitely couldn't, and had coal black hair and a pair of deep sapphire orbs. She was beaming, showing off a set of white teeth. Her facial features were nearly identical to the ones the now bedridden woman had before Gurehai left the Village. She was dressed in brown and grey garments, and holding a familiar flak jacket, colored in one of the various shades of the desert sand. _Her promotion to Chunin, _the young Kunoichi realized. _She was promoted to Chunin at 17. _Wrapped around her shoulders was a bare arm. Following it, she began studying the last person in the picture.

It was a woman, approximately in her late twenties. A waterfall of jet black locks cascaded down her chest, some of them tied back. Her cheekbones were sharper than Gureki's, and her eyes an icier shade of blue. Sporting a bi-colored attire of multiple layers of green and blue, the woman stared down at her companion with a serious but proud expression on her tan face. A Sunagakure headband was hanging from around her neck, and a very familiar [tattoo](https://i.quotev.com/img/q/u/18/10/22/n52cb3ihbw.jpg) graced her left bicep. _She's beautiful, _was the first thing that came to Gurehai's mind, along with a bitter taste on her tongue. _She has... she has... the same eyes as me. Not just blue... but like ice._

"Aoi Taiyō no Mōko.'' The girl stated, letting her fingers brush against the glass surface of the frame. Drawing her hand back, she closed her eyes. ''The Fierce Tiger of the Blue Sun, Aoyo Guretora. Why is this suddenly making so much sense?" Averting her gaze from the two women, she turned to look at what the younger one had become. ''You were like sisters... You would do anything for her. Including raising the child she left behind after her death in the dispute, am I right?"

She didn't have to look at her small finger to know it had moved. 

''And Jiraiya? Jiraiya he... he... You met Soshimo during the dispute, when he and another shinobi arrived at the scene to help you and Guretora. Was that shinobi him? Jiraiya?" Another tap of her finger. ''Something doesn't add up. It doesn't. When was I born? When was I conceived? The timeline isn't right. There wouldn't have been enough time for the events to unfold as I know them- except... Ah, of course. A lie. Guretora didn't die a few weeks later after your encounter with the two Konohagakure shinobi, did she?" One last tap. One last sigh. She sat back down on the chair, and a sudden terrifying thought hit her.

''You were Guretora's sister, and Soshimo was one of Jiraiya's closest friends. Could it be that you came together and married only for my sake?" _Don't tap that finger. Don't do it. Please, please, please, please... _Silence and stillness followed her question. She waited five seconds. Ten, fifteen. Then, she thought she might cry from relief. ''I'm sorry if I made you more tired than you already are. I just... I'm glad, you told me about all those things I asked about. I don't think I have nothing more to say, either. Get some rest, sleep. I'll ask Naruto to watch after you for a few minutes, until I take a shower.''

She saw the Uzumaki sitting at the porch, resting his forearms on his knees and looking at the floor through the window. She slowly opened the front door and walked to him, making him instantly look up with a worried frown. ''Is Gure-san okay?" 

''She's as alright as she can be. Say, Naruto...'' Blue met blue. ''...Would you mind staying with her for a while? I need to wash up a little. After that, you are free to go.''

''Are you kidding, Gure-chan? I'm not leaving this place today, dattebayo. I'll stay here and help out with anything I can. I can sleep on a couch!" _He must be realizing it too, _the Kunoichi thought as she looked past the determined smile on his face. _He must be feeling it. He must be feeling that..._

''No need for that, you idiot. I'll be staying by her side tonight, so you are sleeping on my bed. I hope Ino has cleaned it at some point, though.'' Then, she took his hand and led him inside.

They took turns in sitting with Gureki. When Gurehai went to take her shower, Naruto was there by her bed, and when she came out wearing a loose robe, he followed her actions and washed himself up too. They had been travelling for days, after all. They ate both lunch and dinner at the woman's room, by the open window. No civilian, Konoha 12 member or messenger bothered them the entire day. He told her goodnight with a lingering hand on her shoulder. After that, the door of the room he was occupying for the night closed with a soft thud. 

_...this is probably her last day in this world._

''I'll be right here, mother.'' Gurehai assured the half-asleep Aoyo, and placed her wrinkled hand on top of hers. ''For anything you might need. Just squeeze my hand or move your fingers, and I'll know. I'll be here, the entire night.'' Scooting closer to her now sleeping frame, she stared down at their joined hands. ''I love you.'' At some point after midnight, the three days of their returning journey finally took its toll on her, and her head fell against the mattress next to Gureki's ribs.

At some point during the night, the woman was awakened by the feeling of her chest tightening. Her left hand, too weak to do anything but slightly twitch, failed to alarm the white haired girl. 

At some point during the night, she managed to turn her head to the side and open her pale blue eyes.

At some point after dawn, Gurehai woke up by the first few rays of sun hitting her face.

She found the skin touching hers cold and the hand lying on top of hers stiff, like stone. Instinctively clasping it between her palms, she blinked the sleepiness away and hurried to meet Gureki's face. She failed to suppress the broken wail escaping from her lips at the sight of dark veins surrounding the older Aoyo's blind eyes, and the stain of a single tear running down her cheek. She backed away subconsciously, and buried her face in her hands. 

''Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry, don't cry.'' The broken mantra left her lips, just like the water left the corners of her closed lids. _Shinobi don't cry. _''I can't... I-I can't...''

At some point a few seconds later, Naruto entered the room and glanced at the bed, before falling down on his knees and hugging his teammate from behind. 

''It's okay, Gure-chan.''

And he let her tears soak him.


	46. Father- New Begginings

The funeral took place that very noon.

Gurehai hadn't gone out of her way to invite anyone, truth be told. If possible, she would have buried her mother alone, and have no one see her red eyed and weak. That's what she felt like. Weak.

''Gure-chan.'' Naruto called from behind her, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder. She blinked, but kept her gaze on the tombstone with the Konohagakure symbol and her name carved into it. _Soraku Gureki. _She eventually backed away, and found herself standing with Naruto on her left, and a silent Neji on her right.

Ino, who was now quietly shedding tears from next to the Uzumaki, was the one who had found them earlier that morning. It was also the first and probably last time in her life that she had seen the strong, composed, white haired Kunoichi cry and sob. It had lasted a few minutes... but it had still lasted.

Naruto had told her that he had to stay with his friend and comfort her at her time of need, and that she should go to to Tsunade and inform her of the woman's passing. Ino was quick to oblige, and after less than half an hour she was back, following the blonde Hokage, her assistant, and Sakura. This time, they had found both other members of Team 7 sitting in silence by the open window of Gureki's room, while a white bed sheet had been placed over her corpse's body. After that, it didn't need much thought to figure out how almost every Konoha 12 member had known about the funeral, and attended it.

Other than the two boys on her left and right, she was aware of Sakura standing next to Ino, with half a dozen of her mother's Hospital coworkers on her own left. Apart from them, team Guy was also present, next to Neji. After them and right next to Guy himself, was Hinata, Kurenai, and Asuma. _Asuma. The entire Team 10 is here, too. _

She had caught glimpse of Choji's tall, broad figure clad in black early at the start of the ceremony. At the time, she could only assume Shikamaru was somewhere beside him as well. Now, she was sure as to what his position was. On the Akimichi's side, right behind Naruto, just a foot on her eight o'clock. She had yet to speak to him, ever since she came back to the Village. And she hated that they had to reunite that way.

''Gurehai, my girl.'' Quiet sniffing brought her back from her wild thoughts and to the situation around her. Gureki's Hospital colleagues, a handful of women her age, really, now stood in front of her, looking at her with glistening eyes and sad expressions. _Pity. Not sadness, not really. Just pity. _''Sorry for your loss.''

''Thank you for coming.''

The same condolences were followed by her same response four more times, until they were gone, and the sun was setting. The Jonin leaders took their leave as well, leaving behind their students. Around her now stood a team of her closest comrades... and, somewhere in the distance, family.

''G-Gurehai-san...'' A hesitant voice came from her right, and suddenly, a gentle face framed with long blue hair appeared before her. Her lavender colored eyes hadn't changed at all, and she had grown into a beautiful girl. With a black kimono matching her own, Hinata handed Gurehai a small but thick bouquet of white lilies. ''Th-this is for you... I left a-another one on Gureki-san's g-grave.''

''I appreciate it, Hinata. Thank you for coming.'' She nodded at the Hyuga, not bothering to try and form a smile. She couldn't, and it would probably upset the girl rather than convince her. She left as well, a few moments later. Sakura left, followed by Ino, followed by Choji, followed by Lee and Tenten, who shot their brown haired teammate a look saying 'good luck'.

And he now stood below the setting sun with the white haired Aoyo, the Uzumaki and Shikamaru, who had his smart brown eyes focused on her back. The Nara raised his arm, clad in the black cloth of his kimono shirt, and settled it upon her shoulder. Opening his mouth to speak, he paused.

''...Gurehai...?" A voice that didn't belong to either of them called, and the girl's muscles tensed beneath his palm. She slowly turned around, her blue eyes unblinking, and laid them upon the tall newcomer. She inaudibly sighed. She didn't have the energy to argue with him. Deep down, she didn't want to.

''...Thank you for being here, the three of you. Honestly... thank you.'' She said to the boys, who looked at her uncertainly. ''Jiraiya and I need to talk for a while. Do you...''

''It's okay, Gurehai. We understand.'' Neji saved her from the awkward task of asking them to leave with a nod of his head, and then proceeded to grab a protesting Naruto by the back of his shirt. ''We will talk soon.'' _Has he figured it out by now? It wouldn't be so surprising. He knows Gureki wasn't my real mother, he was there. And Jiraiya... I simply look too much like him._ He turned around and headed for the exit of the cemetery with his black kimono swishing behind him, leaving a still hesitant Shikamaru behind. 

''I also want to say sorry for having to meet like this after so long.'' She said to the Nara, who glanced up at her with his sharp eyes. ''I promise we'll get a chance to meet up soon. Whether it's a mission or a meeting... We will.'' _And I will probably tell you some things you may have suspecting or even known for a while, since you are too smart for your own good. _

''Alright then.'' The Chunin attempted to bury his hands in his pockets, forgetting he wasn't wearing his usual attire. ''My condolences.''

And then, he left too.

''I won't ask why you entrusted me to Soshimo.'' Was the first thing she said to the Sannin, who came to stand by her side. _Soshimo. I'm calling him Soshimo. Why not 'father'? Why does it feel wrong to call him that? _''I know why. _I know why. _What I don't know is why you never came to see me, not even once, in the fourteen years I didn't know you. Why I wasn't told the truth the moment you eventually did.'' She felt like hitting something, but settled for tightening her fist instead. ''Can you tell me now?"

''I won't try to convince you to forgive me. You are a smart girl, you'll understand.'' The man immediately complied, averting his gaze to also stare at Gureki's gravestone. ''The Sand was falling apart eighteen years ago. Not only did they have the Third Great Ninja War to worry about, but one mistake of the Kazekage lead to the internal dispute of Sunagakure's biggest clan, the Aoyos. Do you know how the dispute started?"

''The twins told me while we were away on our journey.'' Gurehai said, recalling one of the first few days of their time together.

''Then you also know that it was during the start of it that your mother, Guretora, awakened the Taorigan. Do you know how she and I met?"

''I know some vague information.''

''I was thirty five at the time. Soshimo and I were on a mission, one of the rare times I stayed in Konoha for a long period of time. We were close to the Land of Wind-Fire border, when we sensed abnormal chakra explosions coming from a cave system a few hundred meters away. At first, we were going to ignore it. Shinobi were obviously fighting, and at a time of war like that, we couldn't risk coming across enemy shinobi, especially as we were on a mission. But then, we heard a scream. A feminine cry. She couldn't have been older than twenty, and we couldn't ignore that.''

''It was mother and Guretora, wasn't it? When a group of remaining Aoyos found them.'' The word 'mother' slipped past her lips easily and without regrets. _I may be having second thoughts about Jiraiya and Soshimo, but Gureki has never been anything other than a mother to me. I won't start calling someone I never met the title she earned._

''Indeed. We rushed inside the caves, and found three women on the ground. There was also a man, raising a weapon above their heads. Soshimo killed him before I had time to fully enter the scene. When his body stopped obscuring our vision of the victims, all we could she was blood mixed with the sandy walls of the cave.''

''The eldest of them all could barely speak. She must have been very old, judging by her appearance, and she was sick. The youngest, lying near her, wasn't any better. She must have been the one whose scream alerted us. Her leg was deformed, twisted in a very wrong angle, with the bone sticking out in front of the knee. The last one was an older woman, but decades younger than the first one. There was blood pouring from her chest, and a bloody sword rested on her hand. She got up the instant she laid eyes on us, and coated the sword in lightning. _I don't have time to deal with Konohagakure shinobi right now, _she said, and for the first time in my life, I got scared for my well being.''

''What?" She hadn't expected to hear that. ''What did she do?"

''The air in the cave started... shifting. Almost burning, like sparks of chakra prickling our skin. One look at her face, and I started regretting my decision to enter the cave. Her eyes began to glow, an otherworldly blue, and the fatal wound in her chest started closing up. It was unlike anything I'd ever heard before.''

''The Taorigan?" Gurehai asked in awe at the mention of the Dojutsu. _So that's what it is. Demonic, glowing blue eyes. _

''Yes. But before we could react, the fallen girl next to Guretora grabbed her leg and stopped her. She insisted that she stop, and let us go, since we helped them. She calmed down after that. Soshimo immediately rushed to Gureki's side, and examined her leg. He ended up having to cut it off. A few moments later, we discovered her mother, the old woman, had passed away. Her weakened state hadn't been able to handle the chakra rushes and explosions around her during the battle. Gureki and Guretora mourned, and after that, we brought them to our Sannin hideout, a little further in the Land of Fire.''

''The Sannin have a hideout?''

''We used to.'' 

Silence followed. She felt the uneasiness in the air, and was hesitant to ask what had become to the safe house. The rising sun heated the stones around them up, and she started feeling the sweat forming under her black attire. The man saved her from the trouble after a deep inhale.

''The four of us stayed there for a couple of weeks, until Gureki's leg was in better condition and didn't cause her pain. During that time period, a lot of things happened. Me and Tora started to come closer. Despite their big age gap, Soshimo and Gureki fell in love. They even decided she would come live with him in the Leaf. After that, she got in contact with trustworthy Sand shinobi Guretora suggested. They took her back to Sunagakure, without seeing Guretora. Gureki's mission was simple. She was to declare her cousin and mother dead, and make the necessary preparations for her leave.''

_Their relationship really developed that fast, huh? That's... relieving. _A side glance at Jiraiya's smile, and she realized she had said that out loud. ''But... what about Guretora? She'd have to live the rest of her days in the hideout, so that no one saw her and discovered the lie and... there was also the matter of her body. Wouldn't the Kazekage demand its whereabouts?"

"Not if it had been blown up during the last battle." He said with a shake of his head. "In the days we spend alone, we both saw each other differently. While I, from the very beggining, thought she was the most incredible woman I'd ever laid my eyes upon, she saw me as an irresponsible and eccentric ape. Our lovers quarrels were true sights to behold. One thing led to another..."

" ...And I was conceived."

"Yes. We began planning bigger things together, despite our difficult situation. We dreamt of having you and then travelling the world, the three of us. We couldn't stay in one place for too long, obviously, but I couldn't force Tora to stay in the hideout forever, either. We would raise you to be a strong and intelligent individual, and let you decide whether you wanted to follow the life of the shinobi when you were older. I brought the Sannin a few months into the pregnancy to meet her. When she was about to give birth, Soshimo and Gureki got married, but found out they were unable to have children. Tsunade delivered you, and Tora insisted that I decide the godfather.''

''Oh, that's right. You weren't my real godfather.'' Suddenly, curiosity overtook her. ''So, who was it? Who was the genius that decided 'Grey Ash' was a good name?"

''The Yondaime Hokage.''

''...What?" _The Lord... Fourth? Namikaze Minato, the Fourth? _''Are you serious? But how?"

''Minato was my student. I was a Jonin leader once, like Kakashi.'' He smiled again. ''So I chose him. I knew he'd be delighted.''

''Who new an actual genius could be that simple minded, huh? So, what happened next? When did she... when did she pass away?"

''It was four months later. I took you to Konoha for the first time. That was when Minato first met you. I wanted Tora to come as well, and show her my Village... but it was dangerous. A newly formed organization had begun taking action, and was comprised of notorious Missing Nin.''

Gurehai froze. The almost comfortable feeling she had while discussing about her parents' past, disappeared with a chill down her spine.

_No..._

''...She urged me to come by myself. It wouldn't take more than a few days, she said, and she had been keeping herself busy with a self-appointed task lately.''

Jiraiya's muscles tensed, and his fist clenched at his side.

_...It couldn't have happened like that..._

''She was writing in scrolls, leaving everything she knew and had experienced about the Taorigan behind. She had still three cousins left, after all, and of course... You.''

_...Not her... They couldn't have got her too..._

''I returned to the hideout five days later. What I saw... was only what was left of it.''

_...Those..._

_''_I found no body. Only blood, ruins, a handful of scrolls, and...'' He visibly winced. She didn't notice. She wasn't sure she was following him anymore. ''..And a blue eye.'' 

_...Akatsuki bastards..._

''The only evidence I had of who killed her was a tattered piece of cloth hanging from a nearby tree. Black, with a blood red cloud in the middle.''

_...Took her from me, too._

She hadn't realized she was seething, until the Sannin pulled her against his chest.

''Do you understand why I had to leave Konoha and abandon you for all these years? Why you couldn't know me, or be seen with me as a child, why I had everyone, from the Hokage to Soshimo and Gureki lie to you? The Akatsuki wanted the Taorigan, and if they couldn't have it in the form of Tora, then they would go after the next most powerful thing... Her offspring.''

The pressure rained down on her like a harsh winter storm. She thought about Gureki, the twins, the fights they had and the harsh words she said, without knowing anything. The Akatsuki killed Aoyo Guretora, the strongest Kunoichi the Sand had ever seen, they killed Soraku Soshimo, the man on par with the Legendary Sannin, they captured and killed the Kazekage Gaara, they infiltrated the Hidden Leaf Village without trouble whatsoever, and almost had her, too. 

And those people were after her and Naruto still, and something told her that even if they managed that, it wouldn't be the end.

_Stupid... I was so stupid... I yelled, and accused and blamed, I said all those thing without having a single clue about what was going on, and now... now..._

She was mumbling and shaking before she knew it. She hit her head against her father's chest.

''I'm so sorry...'' Came her muffled words. ''I'm so sorry, for what I did. I yelled at you, and I was mad at you, and I even told them to go away...'' She closed her eyes. No tears would come, she knew. But her breath was starting to become uneven, and the last thing she wanted was too look even more weak, miserable and pathetic in front of the man. ''I'm so sorry.''

She felt his lips press against the top of her head.

''I find it strange, you know? At first glance, your white hair indicates nothing but your relation to me. Then there's your height, and physique... And still, still... You look just like your mother.''

''I do?"

''Definitely. Everything from your forehead, to your eyes and their shape, your voice, and even your hair... It's not wild and spiky like mine, is it?. The entirety of your face... it's Tora. You should be thankful. It wouldn't be surprising if older shinobi from other lands were to see you and mistaken you for her.''

''Are you calling yourself ugly, Gallant Toad Sage?" She commented lightly.

The man suddenly stilled, and then took a step back, crossing his arms with a goofy expression. ''Of course not! I'm Jiraiya the Gallant!" The title was immediately followed by a pose. ''I'll have you know that the ladies are still flocking around me, attracted by my maturity and delicate features!"

''Your what now, old man?" A familiar voice interjected, accompanied by the sound of light footsteps. When the father and daughter turned their attention to the newcomers, they were greeted by black hair and blue eyes.

''Exactly. You aren't attracting anyone with that unsightly wart on your nose.'' The same voice commented, and the Aoyo twins looked up at the Sannin with identical smirks. ''Except maybe those toads...'' He cut himself off when the Chunin of the company jumped between them, wrapping each arm around their necks and bringing them closer.

''Forgive me.'' She pleaded with her head between their necks. _They are the people that kept me safe for three years, who taught me more than I believed possible, who became my family, who made me laugh and joke and show my feeling again, after many long years. How could I ever think of sending them away just like that? _''Can you forgive me?"

Ichi and Ni looked at her knowingly. She didn't have to say what she wanted them to forgive her for. They knew her. They had heard the exchange between the two white haired ninja. And despite that... they had made their decision beforehand.

''What are we supposed to forgive, idiot?" Ni faked annoyance. ''You had every right to be angry. Now go change those depressing rags. I'm not having you go back to looking like a bat again.'' He motioned to the black kimono she was wearing, and turned his head the other way.

''Your Hokage has requested your presence, too. Go to the Hokage building as fast as you can.'' Ichi added, patting her shoulder. His eyes were red and tired. Gurehai didn't comment on it. Instead, she looked at her father one last time, and saluted.

''Hai.''

**\----**

''It's good to have you back in Konoha, Gurehai.''

The Hokage's office had remained the exact same as she left it, almost three years ago. From the desk to the books all around, and to Tsunade herself. Not a day seemed to have passed since she was standing in front of her in her Chunin vest. 

''My condolences.'' She added, and the girl bowed her head. She had no need to enter a meaningless banter about the fact the Hokage knew her true heritage, after the things she found out today.

''Thank you for welcoming me back. I was told you requested my presence.''

''Indeed. You are cutting straight to the chase, as always.'' The female Sannin laughed, before sitting down on her chair and intertwining her fingers for her chin to rest on. Behind her, Shizune watched with Ton-ton in her arms. ''I was filled in on the events that occurred while you were away. Gureichi and Gureni explained all details of your training and accomplishments during your journey, and I must say that if all of them are true, I am more than impressed.''

A mix of all the new things she had added in her list of capabilities quickly flashed in her mind, before she picked out what the Hokage was most probably referring to, and nodded.

''Now, I want to talk to you about something regarding you and your team. Team 7.'' She continued, and the girl perked up. ''As you know, Kakashi was severely injured during the mission in the Land of Wind. That renders him incapable of leading the team for the following week or so, and more specifically the mission starting today.''

''Today?'' That surprised her. ''That is fast. What will we be doing?"

''That's what I wanted to talk to you about. You will not be participating.''

''What?"

''Let me explain.'' Tsunade immediately retorted, seeing the concerned expression on Gurehai's face. ''While on the Kazekage rescue mission, in which you too partially assisted, Sakura engaged in a fight with the Akatsuki's Sasori of the Red Sand. She and Lady Chiyo teamed up and defeated him.''

_Sakura did? She fought an Akatsuki, and... and came out alive? _

''Sasori provided her with valuable information. Apparently, he has had a spy in Orochimaru's side for years now.'' At the mention of Orochimaru, the Aoyo tensed. ''That spy was supposed to meet Sasori in a few days time in the Tenchi Bridge. That's were Team 7 will be heading, with the exception of you.''

''But, why, Tsunade-sama?''

''This mission is closely related to Orochimaru. Since our informant was an Akatsuki, the risk is even greater. The reason why you can't participate is obvious. In the unlikely case a trap has been set up by Sasori, you will be in danger of falling in the Akatuski's hands. I'm sure you are thinking that the same thing applies to Naruto, are you not?'' She chose to be patient and nodded. ''The most important reason isn't the risk of the Akatsuki. If it was that big, then Naruto wouldn't have been allowed to leave under no circumstance. I can't have you joining because of Orochimaru.''

_I thought so, but..._

''Taking every possibility into account, we can easily assume that you will be provoked. Your past with Orochimaru isn't one to be forgotten. And so, I can't let you go. I believe you understand the situation, and the possible outcomes.''

Gurehai knew that she was right, deep down. Three years may have passed, and still, still that snake lingered in her hateful thoughts and feelings. As she noticed at the most recent mention of his name, a minute ago, she realized that not even now, years later, could she hear his name and remain unbothered.

''I understand, Tsunade-sama. Thank you.'' She said with a heavy heart. _I'm leaving Naruto alone in this journey... I have to... I will support him. He still wants to find Sasuke, after all. _''May I ask what I am to do in their absence? Do I have any missions to attend?"

''That's one more thing I have to inform you about.'' The blonde woman stood up from her seat and walked around the desk, finally resting on top of it, directly in front of her. ''You too, will be busy in the days to come. I've been thinking about it, and I believe everything and everyone is ready.''

''Tell me, Tsunade-sama. What is it?''

The woman smirked, and leaned back with a glint in her whiskey colored eyes.

''The Jonin Exam.''


	47. Fruits Of Training

That night, the twins came by.

The three of them settled for a seat on the grassy lawn, and a torch to shed its light for them on the ground. They lied down and looked at the stars, like they used to do every single night of their journey. The soft September breeze was still warm, making the grass blades tickle their faces.

''How do you feel about tomorrow?" Ichi's voice asked from her right, and she hummed lowly.

''Excited, mainly.'' Came her response, eyes slowly closing. ''I want to see the Jonin Tsunade-sama picked for me to fight. She wants to see the new technique you told her about, so I'm guessing someone proficient in Ninjutsu. The best choice would have been Kakashi-sensei, but given the circumstances...''

''It's not your fault he managed to land himself in the Hospital again.'' Ni sneered, playing with a strand of her hair with one hand, and having the other behind his head. ''Makes you think he's doing it on purpose.''

The girl rolled her eyes, but agreed with her cousin anyway. _In the Land of Waves, and in the Akatsuki's attack, and now, after overusing that eye of his. That idiot... I wanted to fight him, and test myself against the Sharingan. ''_Will you be here tomorrow?"

''Of course. We recommended you. It's only natural that we attended the promotion match as well. It's also a nice opportunity to see you kick some ass and watch their jaws drop to the floor. I bet you a bowl of ramen at Ichiraku's that the Daimyo's representative will invite you to join the Twelve Guardian Ninja.''

''Not interested.''

''I thought so.''

Silence followed Gureichi's comment, and Gurehai closed her eyes with a sigh. _Will you be watching, mother? Will you be watching, Soshimo? Are you all together in a place somewhere, the two of you and Guretora? Will you be there with me tomorrow, to see what the path you opened for me evolves to, Lord Third? Are you with them?_

When she opened her eyes again, she saw Ichi sitting up and a star falling somewhere far away. _I wish you were here..._

''What are you thinking about?" He inquired, glancing at her with the corner of his eye.

''I wish she was here to see me tomorrow too.'' She said and sat up as well, voice barely above a whisper. The tell-tale dampness of tears in her eyes appeared, and she scolded herself harshly. _Enough. You cried last night. You cried at dawn. What of the promise you made? Shinobi don't cry. So stop. It couldn't have been avoided. Her death was inevitable, whether you were with her or not. Don't show them your weakness._

''You have us.'' Ni assured her, confidently but softly. ''And we are more than blood.''

''We are.''

Next thing she knew, she was standing up, and in the middle of a group hug with both Aoyo twins. She tensed at first feeling their arms wrapped around her shoulders and torso, but eventually gave in and reciprocated the motion by cradling their heads to the crooks of her neck and burying her face in between their shoulders. _How long has it been since we did this? It's only happened once before, during training._

''Now get your ass inside the house.'' Gureni abruptly let go of her, and pushed her lightly towards the direction of the house. ''Go to sleep.''

''Exactly. I want you asleep in the next twenty minutes. I'm going to wake you up at six tomorrow, so you need to get seven hours of sleep. I'm having you meditate for three hours before the promotion match, am I clear?" Came the older Aoyo's orders, followed by another push.

''Yes, sir.''

\----

As it turned out, Gurehai didn't bat an eyelash behind the closed door of her room at night. Not that either of the twins needed to know that. 

She had lied down as instructed, white hair tied back in a messy up-do, face-first into her pillow. But no sleep came, even after nearly an hour had passed, and the sounds of footsteps in the house died down. Even Ichi and Ni had fallen asleep. When she felt hot, she threw the covers off her. When she felt cold, she threw them back on. She eventually grew tired of her mind not shutting down, and angrily sat up with the sheets tangled in her bare legs.

_Who would have thought I'd actually be that nervous? No, not nervous. Anxious._ With a huff, she kicked the covers off and stood up, heading to the bathroom. Once inside, she splashed cold water on her face and looked up to stare at herself in the mirror. Her usually fair skin looked a tad pale, and her sharp eyes were tired.

_If you are tired, then why won't you just close? _She thought bitterly, before grabbing the thick strand of hair in front of her right eye and held it away. The scar hadn't changed at all since the last time she'd decided to get a glimpse at it. It was still a thin but oddly shaped, discolored patch of skin curving around her shorter eyebrow. _They want to see **that **technique in a few hours, don't they? How many people are going to be there? Six? Seven?_

Then, her gaze fell on her hands, one next to her face and one gripping the sink. She let her blue orbs trail the ink on the back of her palms. _I'll probably be using you, too._

Dawn found her cross-legged on top of the wooden kitchen counter, sipping on a cup of tea and munching on a slice of toast, watching the ridiculous sleep positions the twins made in their sleep. Ichi, who was lying on the sofa, had his foot dangling of the edge and half an inch above Ni's face, who was sleeping on the futon mattress right below. His own foot had somehow made its way upwards, and was currently being cradled by his brother like a pillow.

_Clowns. _

Said clowns found her half an hour later outside, meditating under the only tree inside the yard. When they saw her exhale deeply at some point, they estimated how far into the process she was. 

After what felt like a few seconds but was actually three hours exactly, Gurehai exhaled for a third and final time***** before opening her eyes and being greeted by her cousin's faces staring down at her. She wordlessly stood up and stretched her arms, feeling that her tiredness had been lifted away. _It always works._

''You should have woken us up. What if something went wrong during the meditation?" Ni scolded, crossing his arms. She refrained from rolling her eyes, to avoid further unnecessary banter.

''I have been doing this almost every day for two years now. I think I'll be okay.'' She waved him off, picking up her cloak from were she had put it on the ground earlier, and sliding it on. ''Besides, you two looked so comfortable hugging each other's feet, I didn't want to interrupt.'' She turned around to leave before she saw the twins' faces scrunching up in disgust.

The long walk to the Third training ground consisted of Ni's comments on the upcoming battle, Ichi's more logical and likely to happen scenarios, and Gurehai not listening to either of them. _I wonder where you are now, Naruto. Are you safe? Did you meet the spy, or is it too early? Did that suspicious weasel Sai do anything to you?_

Her thoughts soon dispersed when the three wooden posts came into view, along with a small but eye-catching canopy tent. It was decorated in red and white cloths, and the symbol of the Land of Fire waved in the air above it. Under its shade, sat a man sporting a kimono and a very sour expression. _The Daimyo's representative._ But still, what caught her eye wasn't him, but the man standing nearby. 

''Oh, Gurehai, you're here.'' He said with a smile, and dug his hand into his pocket, whilst inhaling the smoke from his cigarette with the other. The sash around his hips, with also the 'Fire' kanji etched on it with red color, made it very clear as to why he was chosen as her opponent.

''Good morning, Asuma-sensei. Greetings, sir.'' She bowed her head at the seated man, who seemed pleased by her actions. ''My name is Aoyo Gurehai. Thank you for coming here today.''

''His Lordship has deemed you worthy of requiring my personal opinion on your promotion inside the ranks of Jonin, and so I shall respect his wishes.'' The older man drawled with a nod of his head, glancing at Asuma at his left. ''I have known Sarutobi Asuma since he joined the original Twelve Guardian Ninja. How do you suppose you will fair against him?"

_The stuck-up idiot is underestimating me, _she bitterly though, but let no emotions slip past her facade. ''I guess we will have to wait and see, Kensakan-san*****.'' _I haven't been training for impossible things every day for the last three years to have someone like you bring me down. So just wait and see how I have achieved something that will leave you breathless. _

With a scoff, the Inspector turned his head away, and caught glimpse of two more important members of the day's trial. Tsunade had gotten into the trouble of wearing the white and red hat of the Hokage, and was approaching the scene with Jiraiya at her side and Shizune following close behind. From next to Gurehai, the twins' faces scrunched up.

''Excuse me.'' She bowed her head once again and then left without waiting a response, to meet the new-comers halfway. ''You came.'' She said as she looked up at her father, who smiled at her in return.

''I wasn't going to miss your promotion, now, was I? I also want to see your level of strength. Asuma is a formidable opponent, as you are about to find out.'' He chuckled, resting a hand on top of her head.

''Then I suppose you are in for a surprise, Pervy-Sage.'' The man's face blanched at the sound of his nickname, and Tsunade laughed before walking off to talk to the inspector. Gurehai could tell by the sour look on her face, however, that she wasn't particularly fond of the man either.

''Gurehai!'' A female voice exclaimed this time, and the Kunoichi peeked over Jiraiya's shoulder, only to be met with Ino's smiling face. She was sitting on a low tree branch of the nearest treeline, with Shikamaru and Choji, who was holding a bag of chips, as always, leaning against its bark. ''We came to see your fight against Asuma-sensei! Good luck! Come on you guys, say something encouraging!" She kicked the top of her teammates' heads with her heels, and received scowls.

''Cut it out, you troublesome woman.'' The Nara grumbled, rubbing the aching spot with the hand that wasn't inside his pocket.

''Too early in the morning for you, Shikamaru?" The Aoyo asked playfully, and saw the boy's lips twitch and form a small smirk. 

''We'll see about that.''

''Shall the fighting commence?" The inspector raised his voice whilst turning away from Jiraiya and Tsunade, who had been talking to him. The tick marks on the Hokage's face went unnoticed only by the person who created them. ''I was promised a duel that would worth my while, so... Aoyo Gurehai, would you mind?" 

The Kunoichi immediately turned on her heels and walked further away from the Chunin of Team 10, sliding the white cloak off her shoulders and handing it to Jiraiya, who took it and then let his eyes examine the weapon holders his daughter had on her. She was now left wearing the dark grey cloths previously owned by the Third Hokage, and had two pouches strapped on her thighs, one in each leg. The new additions were what looked like a kunai sheath on the side of her right calve, and something resembling ink just barely showing under the bandages on her hands.

_Asuma-sensei is recognized as the best Konohagakure ninja in melee combat. This means that it would be stupid to recklessly engage into a close-range duel from the start, and compete with him in Taijutsu. According to Shikamaru, he uses chakra enhancing blades, which means that in addition with his combat style, he has either Wind or Lightning chakra Natures, and perhaps both. He is a Katon user for certain, since Lord Third had once told me so..._

They now stood facing each other many feet apart, dark eyes meeting ice blue ones. Wordlessly, they both raised their hands to perform the familiar seal.

..._seeing as I have to make a show out of this, just like the Chunin Exams, engaging him in hand-to-hand combat is exactly what I'm going to do._

The seconds passed slowly. Their left hands formed the seals, and their faces settled to stone cold expressions. It wasn't just a promotion match. 

It was a duel between shinobi.

Asuma had needed a split second to realize why she was raising her arm, but then mimicked her actions without hesitation or comment. Why had she decided to compete against him in close-range combat? Why had she decided to let him know? She could have simply charged at him, or let him make the first move. Didn't she know his strengths, the fighting style he used? She wasn't that naive. Was she trying to show she was confident in her chances to win against the element he had mastered? She wasn't that arrogant.

As their arms fell at their sides and their feet dug into the ground to rush forward, the man decided he was probably thinking about it too much. A Kunoichi like her, according to his spiky-haired student, was impossible to predict.

Their forearms clashed first, in an attempt to display physical strength. Pushing each other backwards, they quickly realized they weren't going anywhere and started a fist-fight. Palms deflected fists, fists dismissed elbow hits, and elbow hits blocked palms. It was a swift and dangerous dance, in which the one would take three small steps backwards and the other one big leap forward, bringing them back were they started. 

The girl jumped to avoid having her ankles kicked, and flipped in the air, aiming a hard kick at the mans head, who in return crossed his arms above him to counter it. The force sent her back in the air, where she sent two kunai his way, coated in Wind chakra. They were on the ground a second later, deflected the Sarutobi's twin chakra blades.

The moment her sandals touched the forest floor, was also the moment the bandages around her right hand were discarded, and her now bloodied left thumb made contact with the black symbol on the back of her palm with a small puff of smoke. The action was followed with a loud clash of metal, as she blocked Asuma's Flying Swallow. 

''There it is!" Ni grinned from his own spot on a nearby branch, looking at the weapon the girl had Summoned. 

''What is that?" Ino asked from a couple of feet away, eyes never leaving what looked like a long, double-bladed kunai. ''I have never seen a weapon like that before. It looks like Asuma-sensei's blades!"

''It is quite similar in terms of material and use. Its made from special chakra-enhancing metal, which enables her to pass Wind and Lightning chakra through it and use the Flying Swallow technique. It was also what trained her to become ambidextrous.''

As cue, Gurehai passed the weapon from her right to her left hand in a flash, blocking the hit from her opponent's other blade. The blue tail of Wind chakra they were both using trembled from he force, but continued to glow as they clashed again. 

The Aoyo abruptly fell backwards to avoid the next jab Asuma sent her way, and relied on her hands to give her a sufficient push for her legs to kick up at his left arm. The hit landed successfully, and despite the grunt the man made, he was also forced to take a step backwards. Taking that to her advantage, the girl landed back on the ground and attached a paper bomb on his thigh within the blink of an eye.

Disturbed by the action, he rushed to cut off the part of his uniform off. The tell-tale sound of the bomb going off echoed throughout the clearing, and the duo momentarily vanished from sight behind the cloud the explosion left behind, before Asuma reappeared to go after Gurehai, who had back flipped away from him. He caught up with her just as she jumped up to stand at her feet, and by then, he had his arm thrown back to attack with his blade. 

His weapon pierced her sternum, and in a flash of lightning, both her and his body turned to electrical currents and smoke respectively.

Meanwhile, the real Asuma emerged from the first dust cloud that had now dissipated, and looked around with his hands raised in front of him. His eyes flicked around carefully, before a loud crack on the forest floor a few feet in front of him alerted him. Gurehai's figure leaped out of the ground and into the air, where she collided with yet another look alike of hers who had jumped out from the trees. The latter sent the former flying towards the Jonin, that quickly threw his glowing blade at her forehead.

Once again, this time closer to him than expected, the Aoyo's body dissolved into dirt and fell on the ground, that unfortunately started morphing again upon the sound of the girl's voice.

''Doton: Stone Spike Prison." He suddenly found his body trapped between frighteningly sharp spikes, many of them threatening his neck. Before him, his opponent took a running start, and formed hand seals quickly. 

''Chidori." The chirping of a thousand birds was heard and the appearance of blue lightning hurt his eyes, as the grey-clad Chunin jumped in the air and brought her arm back to deliver the deadly blow. However, as everyone watched with wide and fearful eyes, the dark haired man simply narrowed his eyes and smirked.

''RELEASE!''


	48. Fire And Smoke- Sunset Meeting

_''Chidori." The chirping of a thousand birds was heard and the appearance of blue lightning hurt his eyes, as the grey-clad Chunin jumped in the air and brought her arm back to deliver the deadly blow. However, as everyone watched with wide and fearful eyes, the dark haired man simply narrowed his eyes and smirked._

''RELEASE!''

The image of the hand wrapped in lightning itching closer to his face instantly froze, before wavering in ripples of color and being washed away with a blink of his eyes. Now that his mind was clear, Asuma glanced around to see that his point of view had changed.

He was standing in his original spot on the training ground, in front of Gurehai.

They both had their right hands raised in a seal.

''When did you realize?" The Aoyo asked, letting her bandaged arm fall down next to her side. She looked at the untouched form of the Sarutobi, who smirked and mimicked her.

''When I found out I couldn't sense our spectators' chakra after the explosion.'' Came the reply, as Team 10 and the inspector looked around in shock and confusion.

They looked down at the two flabbergasted, searching the surrounding area for any signs of the brawl the had previously witnessed. ''No way... The whole thing was a Genjutsu?'' Choji inquired, his hand frozen midway to his mouth. ''The scale was so large...''

''I just thought I should hold a small expedition of Taijutsu and Genjutsu before I got to the main event.'' Gurehai went on from her spot on the ground, attracting everyone's attention. ''Nobody saw something that wouldn't have happened in reality, of course.''

''Main event?"

The girl hid her smirk well at the sound of the inspector's confused and intrigued tone of voice, but continued to stare at her opponent while giving her explanation. _Now I have you hooked, inspector. _''While I was away on my training journey, I decided to undergo a large variety of both physical and mental challenges. The physical part was given a lot of emphasis on its technical component. I wanted to create and master a unique fighting style, meant to counter one of our Village's greatest forces. I was asked to use the aforementioned technique today.''

Jiraiya and the inspector's eyes narrowed, while Tsunade smirked in contentment with her arms crossed under her chest. The Sarutobi Jonin kept on staring at the Aoyo in hidden disbelief. _One of our Village's greatest forces? Aside from the five basic elemental chakra Natures, what could she... Don't tell me..._

His train of thought was interrupted by Gurehai's next movements. Slowly as to not provoke him into attacking, she brought her hand on her face... or more specifically, her white locks of hair.

_There are more people here watching me than I initially thought... _She thought bitterly, inwardly sighing. _Shikamaru, Ino, Choji and Jiraiya weren't supposed to see me like this. They are going to ask questions..._

She slipped the hair tie off the fringe she had hanging in front of her right eye, and then proceeded to grab it and an equally thick strand from the left side of her head, and tie them behind her head. The entire time, she kept her blue orbs closed.

She didn't need to have them open to know where everyone's gazes focused on.

Just for a second, but a second still, her hand twitched by itself, wanting to fly back up to her face and cover the right side of it. She scolded herself and exhaled deeply, trying to get used to the feeling of having her scarred eye and skin out in the open so casually. Not looking at the world through a white curtain of hair was strangely uncomfortable.

Jiraiya's face hardened. It was his first time seeing what the girl was always hiding behind her snow colored locks. _The Akatsuki member who did that... Was the one who killed Soshimo. _It was also a very sudden revelation to the male teenagers of Team 10, who unsuccessfully tried to hold back their small gasps of shock. Between them, Ino glanced at the scar and then at the ground shamefully, where her eyes remained.

For the first time since a very long while, she let someone else look at the wound she had been concealing, and that someone, aside from taking in the scar, was also in turmoil as to what she was planning to do next. Without further stalling, he decided to test out whether or not his suspicions were true.

His hands flew forward after being freed from the chakra blades he was previously holding, and started forming hand seals quickly. _Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger. _Within a split second, he had inhaled and filled his lungs with air, and got ready to mold chakra into it. 

''_Katon: Fire-''_

_''_Katon: Fireball Jutsu!''

Two gigantic orbs of fire clashed in mid-air the following second, sending hot air and a blinding flash of light soaring through the entire training ground. Before the watching Chunin and Jonin could take their hands away from their faces, where they had been protecting their eyes, the sound of weapons echoed once again.

''Impressive.'' Asuma noted with a smirk, though visibly struggling against Gurehai, who now pushed against him with much greater force than before. _She was holding back before. She might even be holding back now. _''How did you do it? Copy my hand seals so fast?"

''Shinobi don't reveal information to their enemies, do they?" With that, they were jumping away from each other again, both pairs of eyes taking in each other's movements in as fast as possible. After another round of seals, their right palms almost simultaneously extended outwards.

''Fuuton: Spiraling...''

''...Air Palm!"

The gusts of air collided and then ricocheted towards opposite directions, though fortunately not towards the inspector, whose jaw was having trouble keeping itself closed.

''They are performing the exact same Jutsu, at the exact same time!" Ino gasped, her long ponytail whipping around her with the air currents. ''It's incredible! It's almost like I'm seeing-...''

''The Sharingan!" The Fire Daimyo representative stood up from his seat abruptly, when after two seals, a pair of two fire columns rose from the ground next to the black haired shinobi, and another two water columns from the side of the white haired one. The opposite, this time, Jutsu, canceled each other out in a flurry of steam. ''The Copy Eye! She copied the Jutsu, and just now performed one to nullify the offending one!''

''I'm afraid it is not the original Dojutsu, however, or even a Dojutsu at all.''Ichi commented from his place on the sidelines, inwardly smug that the man had caught the bait and was now hooked on the duel he was previously looking down upon. ''Seeing as Gurehai is not an Uchiha, that would be impossible. Despite that, she did an outstanding job developing a technique to mimic it.''

Back on the battlefield, Asuma and Gurehai crossed blades once more, this time applying Wind chakra as well, and dancing between the deadly trails of blue glow that were being emitted.

''I have to confess something.'' The girl said lowly as to not alert their spectators, and attracted the Sarutobi's attention. ''I may or may not have an advantage to this fight, in which I was supposed not to know the identity of my opponent.''

''So you knew who you would be fighting? It's still impressive, if you managed to organize an attack plan in such short notice, still.''

''Not quite. I didn't know it was you, but I did know exactly what I had to do when I finally did. You could say you are at a small disadvantage, sensei, because I knew all about your fighting style, Jutsu and techniques, and was able to set this show up.''

''My old man, the Hokage, I suppose?"

''Yes. Back when I was still in the Academy, and first started asking questions about the five chakra natures, and especially Wind and Fire, you always were the very first example I would get from Lord Third.'' That had an impact on the Jonin, which he decided to momentarily set aside. ''It makes focusing on Fuuton and Katon with you all the more easier.''

''Oh? So I could try whatever I want, then?" Asuma teased, and got ready to get away from her one last time.

''I also may or may not have stolen a scroll from the Office library, after our sessions at the time.''

As if they had already alerted each other as to what was going to happen next, they back flipped away from the spot they had been occupying, and skidded away from the crowd. Dark grey, dirty smoke spilled out of their mouths a few moments later, coating the ground and air around them, so that they were only able to make out each other's faces. 

''You know that what's coming is dangerous then?'' The man narrowed his eyes, watching the Aoyo's mouth closely, for any indication that a spark might appear. ''The Ash Pile Burning. Are you going to go through with it?" He grinned, showing his teeth. There was a small flint between them, ready to spark the explosion.

''You know I will if you do, sensei.''

With a chuckle, Asuma and Gurehai both ignited the flint...

...And let their bodies get burned by the searing hot flames, right before disappearing in identical puff of white, this time, smoke. ''Shadow Clones!" Choji pointed out, never ceasing his munching on the potato chips.

The next time they appeared was in the midst of the settling dust, holding a double bladed kunai knife and a signature chakra blade against each others throats, slightly panting. Lowering their weapons slowly, the duo finally took a step back, and locked their fingers together in a unison sign.

''I know you were holding back.'' 

''You are telling me that you weren't?" With that comment, the Chunin shook her head, and suddenly remembered that no hair was currently shielding her eye from the world. With a bow of her head in respect, she let the locks she had tied back loose, before taking one and placing it in front of the right side of her face. _The sooner it's out of sight, the better._

''The duel is over.'' Tsunade's authority-filled voice bellowed, as she stepped forward to stand next to the girl. Asuma bowed his head at the Hokage and left the scene, retreating to the trees, and towards his Team. ''It's time to get on with the procedure. Out of the two Kage and nine Jonin that have recommended her to become Jonin, on Kage and four Jonin are currently present.''

''You can make the number of Jonin ten, Hokage-sama.'' Asuma piped up, lighting the cigarette he had just placed between his lips. 

''Ten, then. What's the Feudal Lord ambassador's opinion?"

\----

''I can't believe you actually turned the offer to join the Twelve Guardians down, Gurehai.'' Ino sighed exasperatedly, the dango stick she was eating from being waved around in frustration. ''I swear to Kami-sama, you and Shikamaru are exactly the same. Knuckleheads.''

''You are the only who cares about it, troublesome woman.'' The Nara scrunched his face up, resting his chin on his fist. A cup of tea was waiting for him to get started on drinking next to him. 

''I feel like I have better things to do here in Konoha, honestly.'' The Aoyo female replied, leaving out the exact reasons she didn't, and actually _couldn't _leave. Discreetly, she slid her plate of dango sticks towards Choji, who gave her a sideways appreciative smile, and dug in. Next to them, on the floor, Ni was holding his stomach in pain, after his loss against him and his brother's dango eating contest. Ichi was sipping tea on the other side, next to Ino, with a smug and carefree expression.

''I don't want to be in front of Izumo and Kotetsu when they find out about your promotion.'' Shikamaru laughed, thinking of their comrades.

''I give myself a maximum of another two hours before they come at my house, yelling about the future of the Chunin Four.''

''Why do I feel like what you are going to say to them will be something along the lines of: ''Knuckle down to training, and then we can be the Jonin Four''?"

''Because that's what I will probably do, if they dare step foot in my house hollering like idiots.''

''Make sure to keep away from your neighborhood until tomorrow, then.'' Gureichi commented, swiftly kicking his black haired twin on the ribs, earning him an irritated groan in return. On a tatami mat nearby, a heap of backpacks and travelling cloaks lay, waiting to be picked up. The six of them had been sitting in the dango shop for about an hour now.

Right after the expedition was over, and all formalities with the Daimyo ambassador had been through, Tsunade had congratulated Gurehai and given her a couple of scrolls, containing her Jonin diploma, identification and some kind of standard congratulatory script. Asuma had also wished her the best and then excused himself from his Team, saying he was going to get ready for a mission. Giggling, Ino had whispered into her ear that it was probably a ''Kurenai-sensei Ranked mission''.

Jiraiya had shown his joy by waiting until almost all the spectators had taken their leave, and then sweeping his daughter in his arms and hugging her close to his body, patting her back, saying that _everyone_ would have been equally as proud. She had tightened her own arms around him, awkwardly at first, whispering her gratitude. The Sanin had then followed his teammate to the Hokage Office for a meeting, promising he would find her later, and that she should take an opportunity to celebrate before her new missions started.

And that's how they found the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, and invited them for a small celebration treat -Gurehai made it clear from the start that the twins would have to pay for the products of their competition by themselves-.

''I'm walking you to the Gate.'' The newly promoted shinobi declared and stood up, now wearing a Konohagakure vest in addition to her usual attire. The cloak escaped the flak jacked from underneath and fell around and behind her knees. ''Feel free to leave whenever you want, everyone.'' She waved the three farewell, and threw a small pouch of money to the old man that was now half-sleeping behind the counter.

''See you, Gurehai!''

''Congratulations, once again!"

''Be on the lookout for Izumo and Kotetsu.''

September in Konoha still held the midday heat of summer when the first rains stopped, or so the three Aoyos realized whilst walking towards the gigantic entrance and exit of the Hidden Leaf Village. The twins were staring to doubt wearing travelling cloaks above their clothing.

''Remember, we'll be back soon enough. Perhaps it'll take a month; Expect us around the first days of October. Until then, don't forget your morning meditation. It'll be crucial for potential use of Kiokugomon. That is, unless you are on a demanding mission. Forget what I said, actually-...''

''I think I am able of sticking to the routine I've been doing for three years now, but thank you for the concern, Ni.'' Gurehai shushed him, waving her hand dismissively. ''Just make sure the two of you don't get lost in a sandstorm fussing about me.''

''As if.'' Ichi scoffed, but smiled a little nonetheless. ''The two great Suna shinobi, the Aoyo brothers, aren't getting defeated by a measly little sandstorm. Better yet, _you _take care of yourself. I know you say it's not a big deal, but living by yourself from now on is going to be hard.''

''Yes, sir.'' She mocked, but as always, hid her true expression. _Thankfully, the house won't be so depressingly empty for much longer. I'm waiting for you, Naruto. _''Have a safe journey back home.''

''Will do.'' The older twin nodded solemnly, before pulling his green hood over his jet black mop of hair, and turning around to walk out of the Gates. Somehow, luck seemed to be on her side, and the troublesome Chunin duo wasn't on guard duty today.

Gureni hesitated to follow after his brother. Finally he grabbed the hem of his hood with one hand, the girl's shoulder with the other, and brought her close to his body. Leaving a fleeting kiss on her forehead, he was walking away the next second.

''See you soon.''

They disappeared as fast as she could blink the following moment, jumping on the trees.

''It's nice to see they are looking after you.'' Jiraiya's voice came from behind her, and she turned around to see the man approaching with slow strides. ''Forgive me for not coming earlier. I didn't want to interrupt your time with them.''

''I understand.'' She knew the relationship between her father and her cousins was balancing on a thin line between hostile and civil, and respected the boundaries they had set. ''Is everything with you and Lady Fifth's meeting done?'

''Yes, it's all over with. Now, we have much time ahead of us. I got Tsunade to let you off the hook from having your first mission as a Jonin today. What do you suggest we do?"

''How about some ramen for lunch?"

\----

Sunset found Kakashi on his Hospital bed, going through the final chapters of one of his favourite novels. The terrible headache that had decided to pay him a visit in the morning hours was thankfully gone, but there was no helping how sore all of his muscles felt, and how the left side of his face protested whenever he attempted to talk.

Fortunately, he wasn't in a position of being unable to read. How else was supposed the rest week and a half of his rehabilitation to go by?

He had asked, of course, to get updated on any news involving the mission of Team 7, with its new member and temporary Captain. His mind was also in his one remaining student, who he had yet to properly speak to or even see, since their brief meeting in the fight against Deidara -during which he had passed out, and wasn't able to come to his senses properly for days-. And now, with the sun about a half an hour away from completely setting, he read in the room bathed in orange hues of light.

Reaching one of his favourite parts of the book, he brought the novel closer to his face and let out an idiotic giggle, enamored. So enamored, in fact, that he didn't notice the window in his room slowly opening.

He jumped slightly when something heavy suddenly fell on his lap, dangerously close to his private areas. Lowering his book instantly, he saw a large paper bag, that was radiating heat to his thighs, and a red, gold and green scroll. When he turned his head to the right- with some effort-, he saw his white haired apprentice standing there with her arms crossed above her flak jacket.

''If you want to read something, then at least read something of more importance, not that book, as always.'' She chastised, walking towards the bed he was trapped in. Carefully letting the novel out of his hands, he took hold of the scroll instead. ''One of you students got promoted to Jonin. That's a congratulatory script referring to the teacher.''

''Congratulations are in order then. I'm proud of you.'' The man tucked the scroll away, leaning to rest his back against the pillows. ''However, I must admit I already knew. Asuma came round a few hours earlier.''

''Oh, I should have known.''

''I also heard many things about the duel. You used Katon against him, and not only that.'' He paused for a while, smirking underneath his mask. ''Does that mean you really have them all now? All chakra Natures... and the Jutsu you wanted to create?"

''Yes... all of that. All ten steps have been accomplished. And of course, I have you to thank for four of them, sensei.'' She met his gaze and let her face relax. ''I didn't stop there, however. What else were you told by the surprise-spoiler?"

''A few things about a ridiculously large scale Genjutsu. I'm impressed, given that the one technique you had mastered was life threatening for the opponent. What happened to Kiokugomon?"

''It was simply unnecessary to use in this particular fight. Doesn't mean it hasn't evolved, though. Other than trying to teach me a few healing techniques, which failed horribly, Ichi took it very seriously upon himself to train me with Genjutsu, so it became part of our daily routine. Not a day went by without some mental torture. Ni handled the Ninjutsu part.''

''Must have been a strenuous programme. And, what's this about healing techniques I hear?"

''Ichi's a renowned medical Nin himself, so he thought it would be good for me to know some basic ways to heal myself during missions, even if it's just bruises and simple cuts. But, like I said, it failed horribly. Or rather, I did. I did a good job learning to handle my chakra reserves properly, but everything about precision of chakra control seemed to fly out of my brain when it came down to actually using techniques like the Mystic Palm. Seems like I am meant to be a destroyer, and not a healer.''

Kakashi decided to leave the last part slide by without a comment. As his small frown was hidden by his mask, Gurehai didn't know either. She left his side to sit on the window seal, and her eyes wandered outside, to the slowly darkening skies. 

''So, what else are capable of now? Should I be worried of being surpassed?" He joked lightheartedly, eyeing the other item the girl had brought with her. 

''Oh, I'm not going to say a single other thing. You should have been more careful with that pesky Sharingan of yours, and then perhaps you would have gotten a chance to fight me yourself.'' She couldn't stop her lips from forming the smallest of smirks, still not giving him a glance. _Does he really not know about the Faux Sharingan, or is he waiting for me to let him in to how I managed to attain something like that?_

''Cruel.''

''Perhaps.'' She answered in an equally teasing manner, before remembering her gift. ''Now, open up that bag and eat something. I don't know what you like besides ramen, and since I can't bring an Ichiraku bowl here, I went for something mainstream at the market.'' Opening the warm-to-the touch paper bag, his grey eye was met with around half a dozen of bun-like portions of food. ''I know the food here at the Hospital can be brutal to the taste buds, but I don't exactly possess the skills to cook them, so...''

''Meat buns?" He mumbled, just as the other Jonin changed her position in the window seal, turning her back to him instead. An invitation for him to lower his mask and have his meal, without any prying eyes. ''You are definitely my favorite student.'' _And she's worried about whether or not I'll like them?_

''Naruto is probably going to throw a fit if he finds out I missed out on an opportunity to see your face, so get started before I change my mind.'' He chuckled quietly. _You and I both know you aren't going to do that, though. You probably respect this mask, just like you don't want anyone peeking under your hair..._

''Well, Naruto doesn't have to know. As far as he's concerned, the only thing under my mask... is just another mask.'' Then he actually lowered the fabric down to his neck and picked a bun, biting into it. _Actual food tastes nice. _''How did you feel about not joining the mission?"

''I have... mixed feelings.'' She admitted, watching as more and more people came out of the Hospital as the minutes dragged on. _Visiting hours will be over soon. _''I understood why I shouldn't go. It was probably for the best. I wouldn't want risking coming across Orochimaru.'' _Actually, I don't think this new Yamato character, whom I have never heard of before, would be able to hold me back from lashing at the snake. _''On the other hand, I don't like the idea of Naruto possibly falling into a trap of either the Akatsuki or Orochimaru either. I don't know a thing about the Jonin assigned to the mission, and I particularly don't like Sasuke's replacement. He's too suspicious, and those big smiles of his are too fake.''

The Hatake looked up from his meal slightly, and noted how she had been clenching her fist during the entire reference to the mission and its participants. Realizing the topic was basically begging to be dropped, he didn't say anything further, and instead silently continued munching his food. 

_This wouldn't be a good time to tell her about Root, _he figured, watching as Gurehai brought one knee closer to her chest, and left the other dangling off the edge. The lights in the room automatically turned on when the first stars appeared in the sky outside, and he let his eye wander over her frame for a while.

''You've gotten taller.'' He commented while getting started on the last meat bun, still clutching the bag in his free hand. 

''Ha. I told you before I left, didn't I? A wise old woman told me I'd grow a lot more, and here I am.'' Her head fell back to rest on the wall, and she blinked sluggishly. ''But, in the end, I guess it's just the genes.'' Twisting a strand of hair between her fingers, she thought of the white haired Sanin. ''Did you know?" Her voice lowered, expecting her assumptions of yet another person to have kept the truth from her to be confirmed.

''About Jiraiya-sama being your father?'' He questioned, earning a hum in response. ''I was never told directly, but I had many suspicions. I was barely eleven at the time, left the Village quite often for missions, and the War had everything and everyone in a mess, but I don't think I can remember Gureki-san pregnant, even if they said there were many complications during the pregnancy and she was bedridden. Also, your resemblance to him is undeniable.'' He pulled his mask back up and secured it, before letting her know he was done by crumbling the paper bag. ''Also, I want to ask... what about Gureki-san?"

''We buried her yesterday.'' She said and turned back around, now facing the man. _So... he didn't know. He wasn't in on the secret. Why does it feel... good to know that? _''The ceremony wasn't anything special. I didn't have the heart to hold a reception or something either. But, I think she would have liked it this simple.''

''My condolences... Also, forgive me for not being there. It must have been-...''

''Don't worry about me, sensei.'' She cut him off and immediately regretted it, seeing as her goal was to appear collected. The tell-tale stinging of her eyes had alarmed her, and she slipped up. She averted her eyes, and missed how his steel colored orb hardened. Somewhere down the hall, footsteps could be heard, along with chatter and doors opening and closing again.

''I'll come back when I can, depending on the mission I'm given tomorrow. I'll make sure to bring something edible, too.'' She stood up from her seat and walked to him, still not meeting his gaze as she picked up the trash left over from the meal and put it in one of the vest's pockets.

_There she goes again, damn it. _Kakashi mentally cursed, wishing he hadn't said anything at all. _I shouldn't have pressed the matter. She is going to start keeping to herself, and bottle up everything behind that expressionless mask..._

_...An all too familiar feeling. _

''The nurses will be coming in to check on you any moment now, so I should probably get going. I didn't exactly come in through the normal entrance because of the visiting-hour limits, and having them find me here will be troublesome.'' She opened the window back up, and lowered her head.

_She's suffering yet again, and the only person who can help her during these crucial times is currently many miles away, and under dangerous circumstances, which makes her worry even more. Her life has been turning upside down more and more ever since before the Chunin Exams, and she can't cope with one problem at the time... If only I could..._

She positioned her body accordingly, and prepared to take her leave.

_And amidst all this confusion and hurt, she may still be trying to sew everything back up in her own way, either for the better or worse. Which means, that peculiar technique she decided to develop, the Faux Sharingan, wasn't just a random choice. According to Asuma's information, I believe the meaning behind it is misleading. It wasn't made to simply mimic the Sharingan... but rather to rival it. And that's why, even though Gurehai will deny it, and persistently keep holding all her thoughts and emotions in..._

''Get well soon, Kakashi-sensei.'' She finally shared a look with him, and jumped out of the room.

..._She may, subconsciously, not have given up on Sasuke yet._


	49. Dangers Of An S-Rank

Having to spend the night all alone was not easy.

It wasn't like the previous one, where she could just lie down and try to sleep. Ichi and Ni weren't downstairs sleeping, like before, and not a single sound could be heard aside from the occasional noises she made. Under the covers of her bed, with only the light being provided by the moon, and the wind barely making the leaves rustle outside, Gurehai truly felt alone.

With eyes wide open, she stared at the ceiling above. _How many more times will I have to go through this, before I can finally close my eyes in peace? Thinking all the time... is tiring._

In an unfortunate turn of events, Jiraiya had to leave the Village once again. His investigation on the Akatsuki could not afford to cease in times like that, and Gurehai knew that, but still... Having found her father, even under such unfavorable circumstances, and not being able to be with him, was harsh. 

She spent a couple of hours in that eerie silence, thinking about everyone and everything. Jiraiya, Naruto, Sakura, Sai, Kakashi in the Hospital, Ichi and Ni travelling towards the Sand, the Akatsuki, Orochimaru, the man with the green eyes... Sasuke.

She had yet to hear from Naruto, Sakura and the newcomers, or anything involving their mission altogether. She decided that she would ask the Hokage about any news or a report when she finally visited the Office, along with the request to be given a mission.

_So pathetic and desperate. Here I am, looking forward to a long, difficult mission, instead of wanting to cherish my days off like a normal person. But... when I look at it from another perspective, there really isn't anything else for me to do... If I can only drown my misery and forget my problems by exhausting myself in missions... the so be it._

The three-hour meditation session that followed managed to make up for her total lack of actual sleep energy-wise, but Gurehai knew she shouldn't rely on such a method too much, particularly from Ichi's words when she had once suggested it. _''Meditating after draining your chakra will replenish what was lost, and meditating in the mornings will help regulate your chakra flow and evenly distribute portions of it for potential use. But that doesn't mean it completely overwrites other kinds of exhaustion, like mental fatigue. That's what sleep is for. It makes your mind rest and your thoughts clear up. Don't forget that.''_

She was walking the streets of Konoha before the sun was up in the sky, fully dressed and equipped for battle. Greeting Chunin and Office assistants here and there, she climbed the stairs and headed for Tsunade...

...Who she found sleeping on her desk, forehead resting against a stack of paper -presumably unfinished paperwork. _At least she's sleeping. _

_'_'Lady Fifth, good... morning...?" She hesitantly raised her voice, earning a low groan in response. She kind of felt bad for having to wake her up, especially when it seemed like she hadn't had a chance to go home and sleep due to all her work. ''La-...''

''TSUNADE-SAMA!'' The door behind her suddenly burst open, revealing a fuming, panting Shizune. ''Wake up, Tsunade-sama! I can't believe you went back to sleep again! You promised you would finish yesterday's paperwork today, so I let you drink, but this isn't you keeping your end of the bargain!" The woman rushed past her and shook her superior violently, getting her to finally flutter her eyes open. The assistant then shoved a cup of steaming hot coffee under the blonde's nose, and let her go.

''SHIZUNE!'' Tsunade yelled, closing her eyes once again ''... Call for Gurehai at once... and wake me up when she gets here.'' She finished her sentence in a lower voice and sipped from her cup, while the Jonin watched with a deadpan expression.

_So she isn't all that tired after all..._

''I think I'll save you from the trouble, Shizune-san.'' She spoke up, making both women turn to her. _Glad to know I go unnoticeable like that. _''Forgive me from taking your nap away from you, Lady Fifth. I seem to have started the day a bit early myself. What is it that you need me for?"

''Huh...'' The Sanin looked at her, suddenly appearing to have shaken her earlier sleepiness off. ''Well, I suppose the sooner I tell you, the better. I was thinking about your first mission as a Jonin since your promotion yesterday, and decided I won't have you supervise one as a Captain, like usual. How do you feel about being thrown into the deep end, Gurehai?"

_The deep end, huh? Sounds promising. _''Now you're getting me all excited, Lady Tsunade. I haven't been in an A-Rank since Team 7's troublesome misfortune three and a half years ago. Do you have something similar?" _That Zabuza, the Demon... I wonder how I would have fared against him as I am now._

''It's going to be a lot different than what you've experienced so far. You will form a three man cell with two other elite Jonin. You might even be slightly familiar with one of them. And so, I'm warning you now... This is an S-Rank mission.''

The girl immediately froze. 

_S-Rank? That's the highest level of missions a shinobi can be assigned to! _She couldn't keep her eyes from widening, and the Hokage carefully took in her reactions. _And also, S-Rank... that Rank is affiliated with criminals and other important individuals from the same category... Wait a minute, no way..._ A strange sense of excitement bubbled up inside her. _The Akatsuki all are-_

''The Akatsuki all are S-Rank Rogue ninja, yes. In a sense, your mission is related to them.'' Brushing the fact that she had been thinking out loud again, Gurehai focused on the woman's words in shock. Up until then, any chances of her encountering and fighting the organization members had played a crucial role in which missions she could and couldn't go on to. So why did Tsunade... ''I know I have been very cautious with you and Naruto, about your missions, and as far Naruto is concerned, the information I let him in on. But clearly, you and him are not the same. So, whereas I have no choice but to allow him do certain things, because I don't want to risk my ears falling off, I can trust you completely.''

Warmth filled her chest. Even if the Kage didn't know her thoughts about the Akatsuki in detail, she could certainly imagine the feelings she harbored for the vile men that killed Soshimo and Guretora. The newly-promoted Jonin couldn't describe her gratitude upon hearing about Tsunade's trust and support. Despite the danger... she...

''I also know you have been probably feeling very anxious about not being able to take part in Konoha's battle against them. That's why I feel this mission is for you, and that's why I picked the ninja I did as your teammates. They are both experienced shinobi, and skilled assasins.'' At the word 'assasin', she realized the mission was going to be even more interesting than she thought. ''Genma! Raido!'' The moment she called out those names, two male figures flashed in front of her, kneeling down with their heads bowed. ''This is the third member of your cell. Gurehai, these are your teammates for this mission.''

The men turned around to face her, and then nodded in acknowledgment. She did the same, and stole a glance at each one, taking a second to melt their appearance in her mind. They were both dressed in standard Jonin attire. The one in the right, was Genma. She instantly recognized him as the proctor of her Chunin Exams, three years ago. He wore a bandana as his forehead protector, and kept a toothpick-like senbon in the corner of his mouth, as always. The other one, Raido, had a lighter complexion and... a weal like scar on the left side of his face.

_That face... I know this man, _she thought, recalling the numerous times she had seen him with Hiruzen inside and outside of his office. _He was one of Lord Third's bodyguards. _

''This mission concerns Kusari Seijou, an A-Rank Missing ninja of Konohagakure.'' She began and slid a black Bingo Book across her desk, giving the three a chance to look at the man in question. ''He left the Village during a mission approximately two weeks ago. Genma, Raido, you surely remember the incident, while you, Gurehai were not yet here at the time. Before leaving, he served the Anbu Black Ops for seven years, and then as one of the commanders of our Barrier and Sealing Units for another four. He made off with a number of important documents, including the formula and codes for the Sensing Barrier surrounding the Village, and a map of hidden underground exits inside the Hokage Stone Faces.''

''We are currently on the final stages of altering the formula's structure altogether. However, it is not simply Seijou himself that poses a threat to us.'' The Senju stood up, and began pacing behind her desk. ''There was absolutely no reason behind his actions, and his behavior gave away no hints as to what he was thinking of doing.''

_From what I know, Uchiha Itachi was exactly the same, _the Aoyo pondered bitterly, the wheels of her mind turning.

''However, on his most recent mission outside the Village beforehand, his entire cell aside from him was ambushed and slaughtered. The report one of the now dead members gave during the fight consisted of a description.'' She picked up one of the papers from her desk, and let her eyes skim the words. ''According to him:

_Crouching figure approaching. Black, red cloak. Sensor and medical nin down. White centipede. Requesting backup._

...The black and red cloak is undeniably related to the Akatsuki. The 'crouching figure' mentioned, was also probably one of their members, Sasori of the Red Sand. Reports of Team Kakashi who recently engaged with him in combat and defeated him while on the Kazekage rescue mission confirmed that the man hid his body inside a crouching, human-like puppet. The 'white centipede' could refer to another member and partner of Sasori, Deidara. Apparently, his fighting style is based on explosive clay figurines filled with chakra. He was reported to have committed suicide by Neji Hyuga, who claimed he used his body as a bomb, blowing himself up after both his arms had been severed during the fight.''

While carefully absorbing the information given, Gurehai realized that the explosion she had stopped by jumping into the fight a few days ago, was the very one the Hokage was talking about. _I certainly heard an unfamiliar voice yell before seeing the fire of the explosion. That could have been him._

''All aforementioned details are the reason why this is an S-Rank mission. The duo infiltrated Sunagakure by having the way cleared for them by a Jonin of the Kazekage advisor council, who had fallen under Sasori's influence and served as an Akatsuki spy. I fear the worst, which in this case is that Seijou's case falls under the same circumstances.''

Gurehai perked up. ''Are you saying that he was ordered to steal the documents and then deserted the Village to hand them to the Akatsuki? They were planning to infiltrate Konoha the same way as Suna and take Naruto?" She asked, even though the answer was clear.

''Not only Naruto, apparently. Seijou also broke into the File Rooms and stole a copy of your Chunin registration papers.'' Tsunade pointed out. It wasn't that Gurehai didn't know they were after her, and seemingly, Raido and Genma now knew as well. But if they had something from her registration papers, then...

''Supposing he hands the documents over, they will all know how Gurehai looks like in detail.'' Genma murmured, in thought. ''But that's not nearly it. We don't know exactly for how long Seijou was under Sasori before he died. If he had been controlled from the time he was an Anbu, that means he's been passing on information to them about Naruto for years know. We couldn't possibly fathom what they'd know about the Village, with both him and Uchiha Itachi there.''

''This is exactly where the three of you come in.'' The Hokage announced, staring at them with her intense gaze. ''Reports came in last night from a group of Chunin dispatched to a small base in our Land's Southwest. A man fitting Seijou's description passed by the base at a frantic speed, wearing bloodied clothes. He was carrying a large item. It is most probably a Sealing Scroll, containing the stolen documents. Your mission is to find him, capture him and retrieve the documents, before he can come to any sort of contact with the Akatsuki. You all know what to do in case he proves volatile and unstable.''

_She's giving us permission to assassinate him if the need arises, _Gurehai realized. It certainly wouldn't be the first time she had to kill, but immobilizing him should be their first option. She could then penetrate his memories to find out about Sasori's plan. _I'll have to discuss it with the other two._

''Hai!'' The three Jonin bowed their heads.

''You have half an hour to prepare your equipment and get ready. I want you at the Village Gates before 7.'' She gave her orders, sitting back down. ''I expect daily reports. Dismissed!" The two men left the room in a blur the following second, while the Aoyo stayed put, looking at Tsunade in the eyes.

''Lady Fifth.'' She began, deciding to address the elephant in the room. ''There's obviously another reason as to why this is a mission ranked S.'' She gave the other woman a pointed look, and took a deep breath. ''What am I to do in case of encountering any Akatsuki members?''

Tsunade didn't blink, whiskey colored eyes gleaming. ''I trust you have the ability to choose wisely. I leave it completely up to you.''

''I see.'' The Kunoichi mused. She bowed her head and turned around to leave, simultaneously thinking about what she had to do before packing provisions for a few days and eventually departing. She opened the door but lingered there, hand tightening around the handle.

''I will make sure not to betray your trust, then.''

\----

Kakashi woke up by bright rays of sunshine falling on his face, and groaned. The nurse had somehow forgoten to close them the night before, despite his kind and friendly reminders. His whole body protested at his decision to sit up, but he did so anyway, and yawned exasperatedly. While scratching the back of his head, the corner of his eye caught an unfamiliar item.

On the nightstand by his bed, sat a small basket filled with apples of various colors. The pile of Icha Icha books previously resting on its place had been purposefully pushed aside, and he immediately got an idea of who had paid him an early visit. Outstretching his arm to snatch the card attached to the gift, he sighed.

_Leaving on my first S-Rank mission._  
Forgive me about yesterday.   
_Don't worry, and get back on your feet before I come back._

His eye read over the words again and again, but eventually glued on the character 'S', and narrowed. Leaning back, he let his head fall against the wall. 

''I'll try.''


	50. Eyes Of The Madman

''This is your first S-Rank mission, isn't it?" Genma asked, while they were blurring past trees and animals, jumping from branch to branch with dexterity.

''Yes. It's actually also my first mission in a very long while.'' Gurehai replied truthfully, not taking her eyes off the path they were following. ''Lady Fifth's announcement took me by surprise. I've lead a couple of missions that turned out to be of a higher rank than originally reported, but have no considerable experience beyond that. Being part of a mission related to the Akatsuki like this is new.''

''You must have figured it out already, but we have been informed about why the Akatsuki want you by Lady Tsunade.'' Raido said, from Genma's side. Gurehai nodded in acknowledgment, her earlier suspicion now confirmed. ''They want Naruto because he is the Nine Tailed Fox's Jinchuriki, and that is definitely connected with the fact that they captured the Kazekage, who was also a Jinchuriki, and extracted it from him. That means they'll do the same to him.''

''I won't let them.'' The words left her mouth before her brain could catch up, but she was stating the truth, so it didn't bother her. _I'm not letting them do anything to him, even if I have to sacrifice myself. _''I may sound naive and foolish to the ears of knowledgeable shinobi like the two of you. But, the Lands and their citizens have suffered enough already from the Akatsuki and their ministrations. So I won't let them.''

''I guess that's what would be expected from the Third Hokage's apprentice.'' Was the sentence that followed her statement, coming from the scarred man. ''I would hear about you quite often back when I was his bodyguard, along with Genma here. You don't have to worry about us thinking little of you, when the Hokage himself was planning for you to at some point succeed him.''

Gurehai almost lost her footing.

_Succeed? _She thought, hoping the men hadn't noticed her sudden loss of composure. _I knew would have wanted me to do so, he even proposed it, more than once. I thought he was just doing a favor to a small, lost child. But he was serious enough about it to discuss it with his bodyguards? He, he... Lord Third, you..._

''I have made a promise to pave the way for someone else, and I like to believe that Lady Fifth will retain her position for a good while, So, I don't suppose I will fulfill his wishes.'' _The Land of Fire wouldn't need someone broken like me to look after it, anyway. All I can do for it now, is keep people safe, and make sure the Akatsuki are dealt with. _''I try to keep my promises as well, so...''

''I see. Then, I suppose I have to ask something else.'' Genma hummed, gaining her attention. ''I know of your strangely advanced skills all the way back from your Chunin Exams. I've even heard a word or two about your Jonin promotion. But going against someone of Sejiou's caliber and participating in an S-Rank like this on is a different thing. Are you ready to go all the way?"

She felt both him and Raido steal a glance at her, and she got the vibe that Genma had just voiced what they both had been thinking since the start of the mission... and even before that, while they were being briefed in the situation. _He's asking if I'm emotionally capable of killing him if I need be. Huh. _

''You won't have to worry about that. I'm adept with killing enough to know when I have to do it. Besides, Seijou is a Rogue. There is going to be no hesitation on my part, especially if he turns out to be anything like all the other Rogues I've encountered in the past. Though, I must say I was thinking of discussing another alternative with you.''

''I might have been thinking the same thing. It's about the mysterious Genjutsu you use, am I right?'' The long haired man nodded in agreement, eyes narrowing in amusement.

''Exactly. Given the chance and providing that there are no casualties, I can use Kiokugomon to search through his memories and immobilize him. That way, if Sasori of the Red Sand had indeed made him a spy, we can get information on the Akatsuki and the remaining members. If he's knocked out cold, then we kill two birds with one stone, and take him and head immediately back to the Village.''

''If?" The scarred shinobi now questioned.

''You could say that's one of the drawbacks. It's all up to his mentality. If he tries to fight it too much, his brain cells will be fried and he'll die screaming. We will still have the documents and the information... but a dead body to dispose off in addition.''

''Then we will work to form a tactic that favors the use of Kiokugomon. Information is always the key to anything, and welcome. Supposing the documents are intact, then our mission will be complete. Like you said, the rest is up to him, and how hostile he will be.''

''Alright then. I have an idea.''

\----

Almost a day and a half into their fast paced journey, the three Jonin reached the base from which the cell of Chunin had reported seeing the missing man. It was almost too small to be called a base. To Gurehai, it reminded the patrol towers around the Village walls, around the size of Naruto's apartment. What greeted them, however, was not the cell of Chunin...

...But rather their cold and decaying corpses.

''Shit.''

Their throats were slit, and there were blood stains all over the walls and floor, making a disgusting odor rise up and waft into their noses. ''Was it Seijou?"

''Not at all impossible. The cuts are too precise and clean to belong to someone not used to the Anbu way of killing.'' Genma replied, kneeling next to one of the fallen shinobi. His dead eyes were still open, staring at the ceiling. ''We have to report to Konoha again. Someone will have to come identify them.''

Just like the Fifth Hokage had ordered, they had already reported once the previous night, informing the Office about their whereabouts, and that no encounters had been made. However, this... ''I suggest we move to a safer location first. Seijou, or whoever did this, might still be around. We don't want to-...'' She abruptly paused, noticing the faint glow of something in the darker corners of the room. 

_A paper bomb. _Her eyes widened upon flickering left and right, noticing more of them littering the ceiling. 

''Paper bombs!'' She called out, and rushed to jump out and away from the base, closely followed by the two men. The explosion found them landing on the grass, looking at the wooden watch tower being set ablaze. _Their bodies are gone... along with whatever evidence we had. Who was it? Are they still around?_

''Be alert!" Genma instructed, as Raido unsheathed a blade, and Gurehai pulled out two kunai and held them close to her face. With their backs against each other, they huddled close together and surveyed the area. 

Aside from the burning lookout, there was nothing unsettling about the rest of the forest at first glance. Soon, however, their ears caught up with a soft, strange sound. It started out quietly and slow. Then, as the seconds ticked by, both the sound's source and its identity became clear. 

Somebody was near them, and crying.

''Leave me... l-leave me alone...'' A masculine voice pleaded, echoing in the trees around them. All three turned to the direction Gurehai was originally facing, and their eyes hardened suspiciously. ''I can't do it... l-leave me... alone.''

On top of one of the highest tree branches, a man slowly appeared, coming out from his previous hidding spot behind the trunk. 

He was a tragic sight, to say the least.

_He might have even be considered handsome, a few weeks ago,_ Gurehai fleetingly thought, instantly recognizing him from the picture in the Bingo Book, despite all of his... circumstances. His hair, which should have been a rather dark shade of purple, seemed to have been pulled from his head in small batches, in a couple of places. His eyes were red and bloodshot, easily matching all the dried blood and red claw marks on his face. His clothes, that at some point must have been a variation of the Anbu uniform, were also shred in pieces, bloodied, and barely hanging onto his frame.

At a second glance, came the horrifying realization that his nails, broken and damaged, were what must have been the object that opened gashes at his head. When their gazes met, the only thing this crazed shell of a shinobi reminded the Aoyo, was a madman.

Kusari Seijou stood in front of them, perfectly still, with quivering lips and twitching fingers.

''I can't do it... I can't... P-please... Le-leave me alone...'' He stumbled slightly, bracing his body against the tree and letting out a pained exhale. ''I want to g-go back... but now I can't...''

_He is mentally unstable. _Gurehai dared a glance towards Genma, who stared back at her with a knowing look. _There is no chance he can withstand Kiokugomon without dying, no matter how careful I try to be. Now, it all depends on whether or not he will lash out... on where his allegiances lie._

''Kusari Seijou.'' Genma raised his voice, addressing the Rogue, whose clouded eyes focused on the trio in confusion. ''You have stolen important documents and betrayed the Hidden Leaf, and are suspected to be associated and aiding the criminal organization of the Akatsuki. Do you have anything to say, or deny any of these charges?''

For a moment, the man seemed lost. On her left, Gurehai felt Raido fumble with something. 

''I-I was supposed to... to meet with him... here...'' His breathing grew somewhat erratic. ''But he n-never came... And now I can't d-do it. H-he wanted me to... to... But I can't do it! I can't do it to her!"

_What is he saying? 'Him' most probably refers to Sasori of the Red Sand... In that case, he was supposed to meet Seijou here and retrieve the scrolls, but he was killed, so that's impossible. Did Sasori's mind control mess with his head after he died, and left him like this? His past memories and own thoughts might be trying to break through, and he's torn. Still, who's the girl he's talking about?_

''Who are you talking about? What's her name?" She asked, the grip on her kunai tight and secure.

''I d-don't know.'' He said, covering his face with his hand. ''I-I don't remember her name... But she was... to the Hokage, she was... I can't betray them like this...''

''He's talking about you.'' Genma suddenly whispered, voicing the fleeting though that passed through her mind. ''You were the Hokage's apprentice, and he's torn between betraying the Village and succumbing to the damaged bond of the mind control.''

''He doens't seem to recognize me, if that's the case, either. What do we do?" _Should I introduce myself to him? Could I possibly use Kiokugomon to break Sasori's ministrations?_

''Call out to him.''

''Kusari Seijou.'' She did as told, also taking a step forward. _Repeating his name might also help him remember more clearly. _''Do you recognize me?'' The man's eyes fell on her, and froze. ''Do you know who I am? My name is Aoyo Gurehai.''

The change was immediate... but not the one they were expecting.

The ex-Anbu member's eyes widened a fraction before he gasped, hands forming hand seals so quickly Gurehai almost missed them. Next thing the three Jonin knew, and to their surprise, orange, prism-like barriers were separating them. Startled, they backed away, and realized that Genma and Raido were the only ones actually trapped. The Aoyo turned to face Seijou again, face void of emotion.

''You're lying.'' He said, voice suddenly stable, tone solemn. ''The Gurehai Aoyo I remember is young. Is this another test?" That changed things. _Perhaps his mind is more messed up than I originally thought. _''Don't move. If I see anything suspicious, I won't hesitate to crush the other two under the barrier.''

From behind Gurehai, Genma kicked a small rock up and made it crash to the barrier. To their distaste, the pebble instantly burst into flames and evaporated. 

''It's the same kind of barrier Lord Third and Orochimaru were trapped inside during the Chunin Exams three years ago.'' The female bitterly realized, along with the fact that she had never managed to recreate the type of White Chidori it had taken to bring it down.

_There are so many ways this could go wrong... or in this case, worse. How should I proceed? What are Genma and Raido thinking of doing? Do I simultaneously attempt to strike the barriers with a normal Chidori? If I fail at that, then chances are they both die, and I move on to a death match against Seijou by myself. Do I try to talk him out of it? It is obvious that part of his memory has been damaged as well, given that he remembers me young, probably around the time of the Chunin Exams. Do I rely on Genjutsu?_

She waited a couple more seconds, and settled for the safest option, the one that would most probably ensure the most of her companions' integrity. Letting her emotionless facade to take on a slightly more smug approach on the matter, Gurehai slowly put her kunai back inside her pouches as to not alarm the unstable man. While pulling her hands back out, she performed a quick seal, only visible to the two trapped men.

_Remember his voice, _she only thought, feeling her chakra expand and invade the ex-Anbu's flow. His eyes immediately glossed over, and he went rigid. Below her feet, the ground slightly morphed, as something appeared to be moving beneath it, and towards the tree Seijou was standing on. The barriers behind her wavered.

''Nice job figuring it out, Kusari.'' She stated, her voice radically changed into a more masculine, raspy one. At least that what she remembered the blond Akatsuki member sounding like. 

At the same time, from the ground around the tree the man was currently immobilized on, several streaks of dirt began climbing the bark upwards, finally gathering next to the Rogue, and forming into one of Gurehai's Earth Clone's. The Clone raised her hand and then brought it down to strike the back of his neck. Suddenly unconscious, Seijou wavered and fell, landing heavily on a slump of mud the Aoyo had created to soften his fall. Both orange barriers finally fell apart, and the Jonin stepped forward.

''What did you do to him?" Raido asked, as the girl cleared her throat to get back her voice.

''He mentioned something about this being a test, so I put him under a Genjutsu that showed me as Deidara, the Akatsuki member that used to serve as Sasori's partner. I remember hearing his voice once but not actually seeing his face, so I just improvised and made 'Deidara' wear the large straw hat I've seen other members wearing.'' She explained quickly, making the Earth Clone disperse. Then, she walked to the man's limp body, and checked his pulse, just to be sure.

''Nice thinking.'' Genma praised, eyes shimmering with respect. ''You got us out of trouble, there. The barrier wasn't exactly the same as the one the Sound Four used three years ago.''

''Yes.'' Raido agreed, blade still out in the open. ''This one must have been created to rend the ones trapped in it unable to use chakra. I couldn't control my chakra flow at all, so I'd say we were lucky he didn't decide to capture you as well. He must have been thinking of not hurting you, either because he somehow still felt loyal to the Leaf, or because those were the orders he received from the Akatsuki upon encountering you.''

''Well, it doesn't matter what the case was, anyway.'' She mumbled, casting them a sideways glance. ''Let's seal him to constrict his movements. I somehow don't feel just tying him up will be enough. Then we can interrogate him about the scrolls' whereabouts, and-...''

''Gurehai!" Genma and Raido warned in unison, and she barely had time to do as told, before the sharp sting of a cut erupted around her collarbone. Breath hitching, she saw that Seijou had not been as unconscious as she originally thought, and was currently shakily holding a tanto blade. On instinct, she quickly kicked the item out of his hand, and then used one hand to push against the ground, and propel herself away. With the other, she covered the thin but bleeding cut a few centimeters below her neck.

Meanwhile, Raido wasted no time into slamming both his hands on the forest floor, sending multiple intricate lines of Sealing symbols after the red eyed man, who writhed in the ground desperately, until the Sealing formula caught up with him, and his body froze. Genma was instantly above him, holding a kunai to his throat.

''Did he get you?" Called the scarred Jonin, rising from his crouching position. 

_So much for not wanting to hurt me, _Gurehai thought, looking down to her collar. ''Just a little graze.'' She replied, wiping the thin line of blood that was threatening to spill from the wound. The kunai had gotten both her skin and the fabric of the flak jacket, unfortunately cutting part of the collar open. _At least it wasn't my throat. Good thing they warned me. _When she brought her fingers close to her face, however, her eyes widened a fraction at the mix of red and purple she saw.

''...Poison?"


	51. Lethal Encounters

_''...Poison?"_

It took approximately two seconds for Raido to reach her and yank the collar of the flak jacket completely aside, and reveal the cut, that had began throbbing a bit painfully. ''What's happening?" She asked the man, feeling a lump forming in her throat. Unbeknownst to her, tiny purple veins started expanding around the wound, steadily becoming darker and darker.

Raido immediately sat her down, and ordered her to take the jacket off. ''There's good news and bad news.'' He said with astounding calmness in his voice, while Genma tied thick wire around their prisoner. ''I'm familiar with the type of poison he used, because its something I coat my blades with as well.''

''So the good news is you have an antidote?" The girl suggested, following his instructions and getting her white hair out of the way. The scarred Jonin nodded and unsealed a vial from a scroll in his vest, passing it to her to gulp down quickly. 

''Yes. Bad news is, despite the fact that the poison would have only been lethal after about six minutes without treatment, and you are therefore partly safe, you are going to have a really bad time throwing up for the next few hours, especially if you move around too much. The poison didn't reach anywhere close to you heart, but the antidote is going to reach your stomach and then go through all of your vital organs as a precaution. Trust me, it is not pleasant.''

He then proceeded to take out another, small container, and dip his finger inside it. Gathering a generous amount of light colored paste, he spread it all around the wound. It instantly dried, creating a layer of crust. ''The ointment reacts to the poison and forms into crust, keeping it trapped there until the antidote travels to the wound through the bloodstream. You will have to wash it off soon, though.'' He stood up, and she followed his lead. ''In case you're wondering why I didn't just apply the antidote to the wound, it's because coming into contact with bare skin is dangerous.''

''Got it.'' Came the reply, along with the first wave of nausea. _Raido wasn't kidding. It must be the most awful thing I've ever consumed. _''Should we start with the interrogation?"

''Not immediately. Going someplace away from the burning lookout is priority right now. We don't know who the sound and fire may attract, and we also can't risk losing him.'' Genma said, nudging Seijou's limp body with his sandal. ''A water source would be beneficial as well.''

They moved at a considerably slower pace after that, dragging the immobile man behind them as they walked. He had been reduced to a seething mess the moment the fact he couldn't move willingly, and that didn't help at all. Staying in the rear to keep an eye on the prisoner, Gurehai felt the urge to empty the insides of her stomach at least thrice before they stopped.

Raido, who had left them a few moments prior, now appeared out of nowhere, landing gracefully next to Genma. ''Let's stop here a for a while. Gurehai, there's a stream right behind that cluster of trees. Head over there, wash up and rinse the crust off your skin.''

She nodded and caught the bundle of bandages the other Jonin tossed her, in case the cut started to bleed, but hesitated. ''How did you do that, just now? It looked as if you appeared out of thin air. A Jutsu?"

''Hiraishin no Jutsu. The Flying Thunder God technique, created by the Second Hokage, and most commonly practiced by the Lord Fourth.'' Genma smirked lazily, instantly reminding the girl where she had heard about it before. ''He was also the one who taught us its formula. Raido and I belong to a cell of three, and currently only shinobi to be using it... legitimately.''

_The Fourth's technique, huh? _''Thank you for sharing. Well then, I'll be off.''

_The mission has been successful, so far, _she pondered, walking towards the place she wast told the stream would be. _Even if I would've preferred not to get injured, there have been no actual complications. Could the same... could the same be true about Naruto and rest?_

Despite the fact she was a shinobi, and shinobi only focused on their missions without further distractions, she couldn't help but worry about the blond Uzumaki, and his quest towards what was possibly Orochimaru's lair, or the Akatsuki's ambush. _Will they find Sasuke? Will they be alright?_

She was so preoccupied with thinking and slowly unzipping her damaged flak jacket, she didn't properly register she was now sitting down next to the water. _All I have to do for now, is to take care of this little nuisance, get back to Genma and Raido, and begin with Kusari's interrogation. Where could the scrolls possibly be? My Chunin registration papers are the least of my concerns. Three Akatsuki members already know how I look like, but information like the Barrier around the Village are crucial. The-_

Slow but sudden movement made her tense up, and stop her movements. Her hand had instinctively grabbed a kunai blade and she brought it close to her face, turning as quietly as she could to the side to face the threat.

On her right and behind a thick cluster of bushes that thankfully almost completely hid her from view, the meander of the tiny river created a good spot for one to immerse their body in. There, another girl was kneeling, her long blonde hair covering her bare chest. She was washing her arms and face with a somewhat upset face. Despite that, her features were gentle, and Gurehai instantly relaxed. 

_It's just a young woman. Probably a traveler. Kami, for a second there..._

''You shouldn't be travelling here alone, miss.'' She warned, thinking about herself or other shinobi that might be lurking around like Rogues, and resumed to scrubbing the crust around her collarbone furiously. ''There's a Rogue on the loose around these parts.'' _That'll probably scare her enough to send her away-_

''The hell did you just call me, _un_?" Came the most unexpected of responses, in a shockingly hoarse and boyish voice. The Aoyo's eyes immediately flew to who she had mistakened for a girl. Upon that, she realized that not only was the person not a woman, but that _he, _in fact, was a well-built young man, with a generous amount of scars and stiches littering his body. However, that wasn't what made her breath hitch.

Now that the man had moved to face her, another item, previously obscured from view by presumably his body, made its appearance. On the roots of the tree right beside him, sat a long piece of cloth, decorated by very, very familiar colors.

Their eyes widened simultaneously, and their kunai clashed in the air.

''RAITON:'' Gurehai jumped backwards, aiming her fingers towards the water. ''STORM CURRENT!'' The destructive stream of lightning hit the water a second too late, and the boy performed a back flip to get out of the water and onto the tree behind him, setting his knees apart and gaining balance. 

''Deidara senpai~'' A new, unfamiliar voice was heard, and to Gurehai's disdain, another figure clad in the despicable colors of black and red emerged from the tree bark. Now, the pair of Rogues stood above her, analyzing her moves. ''Who's the young lady? Don't tell me...'' The other member, whose face was entirely covered by a strange orange mask gasped, his childish voice adding to his suspicious appearance. ''... she's your girlfriend?'' 

''Stop spewing nonsense, Tobi.'' Deidara growled, with an annoyed expression that quickly turned to a satisfied smirk. ''Who would have imagined, un?'' At that, he slightly raised his hands, revealing the open mouths on each of his palms. Their tongues came out, flicking around eagerly. ''We were sent here for the Three-Tails and that Leaf Anbu, but also came across the Aoyo. That'll show all the others. Tenchou will be satisfied.''

_I have to get out of here and alert Genma and Raido, now. Screw Seijou's interrogation. We can do that in Konoha, and come back to retrieve anything he might have hidden. If we're not careful, I'll be taken, and the others will be killed. He mentioned a Leader... so they have one, pulling the strings from behind. Who is he, though? Where is he?_

''You sound overly confident for a dead man, Akatsuki.'' She stated, mind thinking of a thousand ways out, and deciding on the quickest and safest, the one that would buy her more time. ''I see you both survived the explosion I sent back at you, and got your arms back. You got a new partner, as well. The Akatsuki must be running out of people willing to join them, if that's who they put in the place of Sasori the Puppet Master.''

Deidara gritted his teeth and barked out a laugh, whilst Tobi, as the blond had previously referred to the masked person as, let out an offended and dramatic gasp. ''I knew I'd heard your voice somewhere before. So you're the bitch who blew my Clone away?"

_A Clone. That's it, Deidara. Say more. I might even get you to reveal important things about your damned organization. _

''Yes, indeed. What a shame it will be, now that the same will happen to you.'' She threatened with a cold voice, and quickly raised her right hand in the air. The duo visibly recoiled, falling for the trick. _As if I'd risk unleashing an attack and leaving myself wide open, especially when the new face over there seems to be able to pass through objects. _More sparks of lightning surrounded her fingers, and her eyes glowed with a sudden flash of light.

_''_SHINKEN!"

\----

''What was that?" Raido's head jerked towards the direction the sudden noise had come from. It was the sound of metal against metal, the sound of blades clashing. And, most importantly, it had come from the direction Gurehai was supposed to be. ''You don't think...'' He trailed off, eyes once again studying the man they had previously captured.

Genma's face hardened. _It could be nothing... but the Akatsuki's threat is too big. We don't know if some of them have been ordered to come and take care of what Sasori and Deidara left behind. _After a small pause, he stood up from the rock he was sitting. ''I'm going to her. Keep your eye on-...'' 

''_SHINKEN!" _The cry seemed to echo throughout the forest, along with the roar of thunder, and a flash of lightning. The entire area on their right, were the stream was located, lit up in an quick explosion of blue light. Then, a body appeared in a cluster of blue sparks next to them, nearly stumbling on the forest floor right after.

''Gurehai?"

The girl hurriedly regained her composure and looked around, spotting her comrades. ''The Akatsuki.'' She explained, wincing as a wave of nausea overcame her. ''Sasori's partner, Deidara, is still alive. He and a masked, unknown member are here. They said they're here for Seijou, and the Three-Tails.''

''He's alive? But Team Guy and Kakashi reported him blowing himself up. You were there, fending of the explosion, weren't you?" Raido questioned, while grabbing Seijou by the arm and dragging him to stand up. 

''It was a Clone, of unknown chakra Nature. They're here to get Seijou and the documents, and now they want me too. They also mentioned the Three-Tails. That, along with the fact they're after Naruto, and that they killed Gaara in order to extract the Bijuu inside him, gives a very clear picture of at least on of their objectives.''

''What could they possibly want the Tailed Beasts for?"

''That's not our concern, right now.'' Genma decided, his eyes scanning the surrounding area quickly. ''We are leaving, now. Our job with him is done.'' He said, pointing his head at the purple head man. ''We-''

A sudden rain of white, lifeless insects came from above, and the shadow of a larger object fell over the clearing. Genma instantly crouched down on the ground, and Raido tackled their prisoner close to his teammates.

''KATSU!" Deidara's voice bellowed, and multiple explosions went off at the same time.


	52. Red Clouds And Lightning Bolts

**WARNING: Scenes of dismembering lie ahead. Please skip a few rows at the sight of (*), if you consider such content sensitive.**

_''KATSU!" Deidara's voice bellowed, and multiple explosions went off at the same time._

Gurehai bowed her head as the thick dome of earth Genma created took shape around and above them, shielding the three Jonin and their captive half a second before disaster. The white insects, or better yet, the bombs, exploded loudly outside their haven, which quickly began giving out and cracking. 

''Watch out for the masked ones abilities. He seemed to be able to phase through objects!'' The female warned, before the Mud Dome split open, and they all jumped away from their spots, just as another white centipede crawled their way. 

She landed on a rock, not too far away from Genma, who was standing in front of the still-immobile Seijou. Raido supervised them from directly above, with his blade out on a tree branch.

''Ha!" Deidara's voice exclaimed loudly, and their heads immediately snapped up to see both him and the member in the orange mask hovering in the air on top of a big, abnormal bird, made of the same material as the insects that assaulted them just moments before. ''Seems like our job is getting easier and easier, Tobi! They even captured the ninja my man Sasori brainwashed for us, un!" His eyes gleamed with amusement. 

He was back in his red and black cloak, that was weakly flailing around him with the wind. His scarred arms, now covered, were brought forward, and the mouths on his palms lapped greedily at the air. ''I'll show you my art, and finally take you with me, Aoyo! The Uchiha won't get to look down at me, after that!';

_Uchiha Itachi, _the name echoed in her mind, as she searched the blond boy for any clues he could give away. _Is there some kind of hierarchy in the Akatsuki, besides the Leader Deidara mentioned earlier? And, furthermore.... what do those mouths do? He is obviously the one responsible for creating the insects, and subsequently the explosions. But what kind of technique is that? How do we counter it?_

''It seems to me that your organization just won't get it.'' She spoke up, buying herself and her team time. _Fighting, even just a little, is inevitable. How does he create those things? How... _''Your green-eyed freak of a comrade was first nearly a decade ago, and then Uchiha Itachi came with his partner, Hoshigaki of the Mist. You think your little insects and your brain-dead friend will succeed where those men failed?"

Distaste took over Deidara's features, and his lip curled ominously. He dug his hands on the large pouches he had strapped on both his hips, and his eyes trained on hers. ''You are a real bitch, you know that? And there I was hoping I'd have someone my age to get along with in the Akatsuki, un."

_Too bad. They actually believed, even for a second, that I'd willingly join them. More idiotic than I initially thought. _The boy's hands made their appearance again, this time chewing a big chunk of white material. _That's what the bombs are made of._

The material was then molded in o two large, thick creations resembling birds. They flapped their wings, rested on top of Deidara's shoulders for a few seconds, and then hovered above his head.

_Clay, _the Aoyo realized. _It's just white clay._

''You're about to realize I'm an even bigger bitch than you probably expected.'' She held back her smirk, instead giving him her coldest, calmest expression. Her hands slowly slithered behind her back, forming a hand sign only her teammates could understand, and then quickly pulled out two kunai knives.

_And clay, even chakra-enhanced clay, is simply made of..._

The birds flew off the irritated teenager's shoulders with a swift flap of their winds, and headed for her specifically with quick movements. She threw both her blades simultaneously, wrist flicking sharply, trails of lightning piercing the air at their wake.

''Katsu!" Deidara yelled from above, eagerly expecting the deafening sound of his explosions. 

However, it never came, and he found himself clumsily ducking out of the way as a kunai grazed his cheekbone and drew blood. Down below, his clay birds fell limply on the forest floor, in front of the feet of a very pleased Gurehai.

''Earth is weak to Lightning.'' Genma smirked, realizing the situation. With an amused chuckle, he waited for the girl's next move, just like the hand sign she had formed for them demanded. _She's much better than I thought. And if we can pull her plan off... Lord Third, you have truly raised yet another formidable shinobi. _

''Your clay is going to have trouble keeping up with us.'' She proclaimed, keeping a wary eye on the masked member. _I have a bad feeling about him. I may have underestimated him gravely. As much as I despise them, an organization like the Akatsuki wouldn't take in someone weak... or stupid. I don't like this... gut feeling I have._

Deidara growled. ''You've seen nothing of my art, un! Tobi!" He shouted, shooting his partner a sharp glance. The other man stumbled comically, before giving the blond a salute. 

''Hai, Deidara-senpai!" He then proceeded to slip through the clay bird he was standing on, and free fall towards them. 

''I have a bad feeling about him.'' Gurehai told her long haired teammate, and started getting mentally prepared for what they were about to attempt. ''Will you handle him for me?"

''Anything for our strategist.'' He nodded, suddenly flicking his wrist and making a senbon appear between each of his knuckles. ''We'll leave the blond hothead to you.''

The second Tobi's body came into contact with the ground, Raido jumped towards him with dizzying speed, threw purple smoke screens left and right in the process, and thrusted his sword forward. 

''TOBI!" The young Rogue yelled again, this time with a hint of worry in his voice. The entire clearing below him was now covered in dark purple smoke, obscuring his view, and cutting him off from the battle field. His hands went to work once more, chewing up dozens of small, winged spheres. ''Damn them...'' _I'm going to blow the smoke away, and drag the Aoyo back to the hideout by the hair! _He let the miniature bombs slip from his hands and onto the forest below by the dozens, eyes still searching for signs of movement.

Sounds of fighting, wood cracking and blades slashing the air reached his ears, and he knew that the Leaf was having trouble following his partner. _He's the only one out of them who can come out of this unscathed, _he smirked, and prepared to light the clearing up with a hand seal. The smoke threatened to get him, licking at the bird he was standing on with its wispy fingers.

But then, from his left, a figure broke through the purple screen, and pounced on him with glowing eyes and bared fangs.

He gasped and stumbled, moving to the side abruptly to let his arm take the brunt of the attack. The beast clawed at him and forced him to abandon the bird with a furious hiss. ''Katsu!" He cried, and the explosion wave of his carrier sent them both tumbling towards the trees.

His feet collided with the tree bark and he struggled not to fall again, sticking almost upside-down on the trunk. He skidded to a halt, and immediately cried out in pain. 

*** **Where his bicep once was, a gaping, bleeding hole now stared back at him, staining the rest of his skin and cloak. He didn't want to distract himself from his opponent, but the alternative was dying of blood loss, and so he used his right hand to tear a large piece of his clothes off, and messily tie it around his severed arm. 

A few feet away, another figure appeared, landing in front of the beast and lowering their stance. ''You can't create bombs without those precious mouths on your hands, can you?" Gurehai glowered at him, holding something for him to see. With an almost terrified look, Deidara saw it was his arm, which was then thoughtlessly tossed above her shoulder, and into the smokey hell below their feet.

''Damn it!" He seethed, and jumped backwards, digging his remaining hand into his pouch. 

''King Enma!" The girl called, and the ape behind her curled into a ball of white fur, and then transformed into a black and gold staff. 

All the winged bombs he sent her way were either immediately dodged or confidently smacked away, exploding in the process, and creating little time for him to slip further away. In a close call of the staff coming for his head, he ducked quickly and slammed his hand on the tree bark.

''Bakuton: Rising Spear!" He managed, and the female Jonin recoiled, avoiding the jagged piece of earth that rose with tremendous speed from the ground below and seperated them. Using the staff to launch herself to another tree at the last second, she shielded her eyes from the oncoming explosion of the Spear. 

Deidara found himself falling a few feet and then escaping on a cluster of lower branches while forming seals, the heat and wind almost throwing him off balance. He drew his tanto blade from his back on instinct, and the next moment he was blocking Gurehai's staff, who had jumped at him out of nowhere. With the smoke slowly evaporating but still hindering their sight, they pushed each other back and forth between the tall trees.

''I'm getting really tempted to blast your head off right now, un.'' He growled out, coming face to face with the girl, their weapons crossed. 

''Another disadvantage, then.'' She replied and suddenly pushed back, swinging the transformed Enma around and going for his own head. The boy fell on his back and kicked up, sending the staff nearly flying, and her off balance. 

The tanto blade received a chakra-enhanced throw towards her midsection, where it also lodged itself.

Enma instantly disappeared in a puff of smoke, and the Aoyo's body fell apart in a deafening unraveling of lightning bolts. Deidara's eyes widened and he hissed, before crying out at the shock the Lightning Clone gave him.

''Senpai!" Tobi shrieked from somewhere below, before the masked man dove into the ground to avoid Raido's poisoned blade and Genma's Sealing formula catching up with him. High up on the trees, the blonde Iwagakure Rogue fell on his knees and grasped at his shaking body. From behind him, the real Gurehai appeared, and pointed her palm at the back of his head with a humongous wave of chakra that blasted all the smoke away from the clearing.

''KIOKUGOMON!"

-

_''Deidara-nii!" A young girl with big black eyes exclaimed, running towards her with a smile on her face. ''I heard the news! You were made a member of the Explosion Corps!'' She was wearing a headband with the Hidden Stone emblem engraved on it. Looking down, she saw Deidara wasn't that older than the Genin in front of her, and wore a flak jacket._

_''Listen here, Deidara!" Another voice was heard, and suddenly she was facing a very short, red-faced man. The Third Tsuchikage glared up at her sternly. ''The shinobi of this Village, of this Land, carry the Will of Stone. What is your Will of Stone? How are you going to lead the people of this nation one day, if all you can do is cause mischief?"_

_It was night, and she was staring down at a pair of arms that weren't her own, as the distinct memory immense pain erupted from her palms, and intricate formulas worked the chakra around the wrists and knuckles. With the body of the blond teenager heaving, she stood up and examined the mouths now inhabiting the previously fair skin. A bundle of scrolls fell on the ground behind her, and she was off, running away._

_Explosions were going off all around. _

_Strange men were standing in front of her. Still, however strange the lighting of the temple she was now standing may have been, all of their faces were familiar. And, she was face to face with two glowing, red eyes and the tomoe spiraling inside._

The connection between them was wavering. Somewhere in the back of both their minds, they could hear the sounds of battle growing even more frantic. 

_Nine shadows occupied the space of the gigantic cave around her, all completely unrecognizable, with the only hint of their identity being a chaotic mix of voices. The noise ended instantly the following second, thanks to the question of an unmistakable, deep voice._

_''What are we to do, Leader?"_

_The flash of four crossed out lines on a metal plate flashed, and she got lost in a pair of threatening purple eyes. ''Spread out for the Jinchuuriki.''_

''GUREHAI!" What snapped her off the haze that the connection Kiokugomon had created wasn't Genma's warning shout, but rather the feeling of something in her shoulder shattering. She was suddenly kicked in the back of the knee and thrown on top of the branch, next to a screaming Deidara. She was twisting her body around the following second, releasing a burst of lightning towards Tobi, who had creeped up behind her.

''Raiton:" Came her broken cry. ''Storm Current!" The bolts passed right through him as planned and exploded when coming into contact with the wood behind him, giving her the slimmest of chances to get away. Rolling away from the blond boy's body, who was desperately gasping for breath, she began falling rapidly towards the ground many feet below.

Her head spun along with her stomach, which clenched sickly, and in addition to the new bleeding hole next to her clavicle, she had to painfully gulp down the bile that rose up to her throat. In the midst of her free-fall, however, she had to also suppress the urge of her eyes to widen. _Don't let him know you saw it, _was all she could think.

Staring down at her falling form with a murderous glare from behind the orange mask, was a blood red Sharingan.

She hit the ground with a silent cry, and felt her left shoulder throb with fervor. In an instant, she was throwing up blood and other fluids, as well as realizing she was unable to move her entire arm.

Someone landed next to her just as her vision started to blur, and Gurehai wanted to pray to every known god when she saw it was Raido. With his clothes torn in many places, he bended down and gathered her shakily in his arms, hurriedly rushing towards Genma, who had stranded significantly away from the spot they had began fighting in.

''I-I'm going to kill her!" Came Deidara's broken cry, as the image of the clay bird he was creating reflected on his bloodshot blue eyes. ''Did you deal with the field below?" He asked Tobi with a hiss, just as he jumped on with a venomous hiss.

''We have to go, now!" Yelled Genma, while the bird flapped into the air above. Both men hovered above her head and formed hand seals whilst holding each others shoulder, effectively caging her in. _Something's missing, _she couldn't hep but anxiously think, and, right at the moment, a flash of disheveled purple hair appeared in the distance. _Seijou_.

''WAIT!"

The last thing she saw before her vision went black, was the ground around them blowing up.


	53. Mission Report

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's pic is actually fan art! Thank you Iri Kuzuki from Quotev!

''Ne, Sakura-chan, since the mission is over now and Granny Tsunade dismissed us, let's go on a date!"

Apparently, Team Kakashi's recent encounter with their old member, Sasuke Uchiha, had all but dampened Naruto's spirits. The young Uchiha's rejection had cut him deep, as always, but had also given him determination, and something to continue striving for. Even if that came out in the form of asking his pink-haired teammate out.

''Didn't you hear a word of what Tsunade-sama, said? We are to be on standby for our next mission. _In our houses._'' She emphasized, still a little out of it from the events of the previous day. _Would anything have changed? _She pondered with a heavy heart, recalling in her memory Sasuke's cold eyes and the immense power he displayed. _Would anything have changed, if Gurehai was with us?_

''Sakura!" A sudden shout snapped her out of her trance, and the teenagers' eyes flickered to wards the form of a man running towards them. ''Sakura! You are Lady Hokage's apprentice, aren't you? You have to inform her, quickly!" The man's spiky hair bobbed crazily in sync with his rushed strides, and the trio finally recognized him.

''Kotetsu-san!" The girl exclaimed, eyebrows furrowed. ''What's the issue?"

''Team Genma is back, and currently at the Gates. He said you would know.'' He explained in a rushed tone, and Sakura immediately gasped. _The S-Rank! _''They need Tsunade-sama's assistance, as soon as possible. Gurehai-taichou is in a very bad condition, but for some reason refuses to be admitted to the Hospital without reporting to her!"

''Gure-chan?!" Naruto's playful demeanor vanished within the blink of an eye, and he grabbed Kotetsu's shoulders. ''The Gates, you said? Sakura-chan, get Granny Tsunade quickly! I'm heading over, 'ttebayo!" He announced, and jumped away with lightning-quick movements.

\----

''Are you certain this is a good idea, Gurehai?" Genma gritted his teeth for the umpteenth time since their arrival, alternating between glancing at her disheveled form, and the small crowd that had gathered around the Village's entrance. 

''Absolutely.'' She confirmed, swallowing down yet another wave of nausea.

Truthfully, she wasn't.

The trio had done their best to travel fast and put as much distance as possible between them and the two Akatsuki members, but with Gurehai unable to properly stand up straight, and the other two being incapable of carrying her -not that she would have let them try, on that matter- the task was easier said than done. They had arrived at the Village two days later than anticipated, with their hearts pounding even at the shortest of breaks they took to catch their breaths.

If they happened to encounter enemies, even if they weren't Deidara and Tobi, their chances of surviving would have been slim to none. And, when they finally stumbled through Konohagakure's Gates, out of breath and bleeding, the Aoyo's body had the chance -or audacity, in her own opinion- to give up on her. 

She had fallen on her knees, dizzy from what could be either dehydration or her immune system, which hadn't been able to deal with the poison effectively. She had barely acknowledged Izumo and Kotetsu approaching them from their seats behind the Guard desk, before her vision blurred dangerously before momentarily blacking out. She had quickly willed herself back to consciousness, only to realize they were now surrounded by a team of Medics, who wanted to sedate her and carry her away to undergo surgery at the Hospital.

She knew she was causing a commotion. She knew there were people watching, she knew she might fall in their eyes. The Medics were sending her strange looks from where they were healing Raido a few feet away, in a safe distance, and she had even pleaded Genma, her superior, to trust her and wait for the Hokage to make a decision. 

She didn't want to be sedated. She couldn't, not when the memories she had almost lost her life to take from Deidara were at risk. She couldn't be sure something wouldn't go wrong, that her memory wouldn't become hazy, that their mission and near-death experience would be for naught. So, she would rather sit there, in pain and with dried blood all over her shoulder and torso, on the verge of vomiting, than lose the most important piece of information about their enemy...

...The Akatsuki's identity.

''GURE-CHAN!'' A voice suddenly hollered out of nowhere, disrupting the akward sea of murmurs that had taken over the Village entrance. A flash of orange appeared in the distance, and she carefully turned hr head to see Naruto running towards them with a worried expression. ''Gure-chan...'' He was kneeling down next to where she was sitting with her back against the Guard desk in seconds, taking in the state she was in. His face fell quickly after that, blue eyes locking on the bandages around the upper left part of her body, stretching from her shoulder to her middle... or rather, how they were soaked in blood.

''I promise it looks worse than it really is.'' She tried to calm him down, hoping she was being convincing. 

''What are you sitting here for, Gure-chan? I was there when they called for Granny Tsunade and said you were injured." He ignored her statement, his hand recoiling from where he attempted to touch her wound. ''Why aren't you getting treatment from the Medics?" His tone grew agitated, and he turned to look at the group of doctors that was staring at them with narrowed eyes. 

Gurehai grabbed him by the shoulder clumsily and dragged him down to her height, to talk to him quietly. ''Listen, Naruto. There's a reason I'm waiting for the Hokage here, and not letting them heal me. You don't think I'm a masochist, now, do you?" She patted his shoulder, just as the dizziness came back full thrust. She closed her eyes shut with a wince to quickly cope with it, which didn't go unnoticed.

''But-...''

''Trust her, Naruto.'' Genma nodded from next to them, making the Uzumaki gulp. ''May I?" She asked the white haired Jonin, who gave her consent with a sigh of relief. She shouldn't have spoken as much as she did, anyway. ''We fought two members of the Akatsuki during our mission.'' He explained, and Naruto's breath hitched in his throat. ''Gurehai managed one of them by herself just fine, but then, amidst the battle panic, the other one slipped past me and Raido and got to her while she was performing Kiokugomon. If anything, the blame's all mine.''

Gurehai wanted to shoot him the hardest glare she could, but unfortunately, she couldn't do much at all. _What in the world is he thinking, blaming himself? I was the one who initiated the formation, and risked their lives!_

''She got crucial pieces of information about the organization, its members and their purpose. The injury messed with her concentration a bit, and she's afraid being sedated will make everything worse, or even result to her forgetting. That's why we are waiting for Tsunade-sama. We hope she has an alternative, and, if not, we'll have to report first, before allowing them to take her.'' He finished, motioning to the team of Medics with his head. ''Please respect her decision.''

The boy gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, head dropping. ''Wh-... How long have you even been like this, in pain? Your shoulder looks terrible, Gure-chan! Is the information really worth risking your life over?''

_Spread out for the Jinchuuriki, _the authoritative voice echoed in her head. She kept herself from smiling, and ran her hand through his blond hair instead. ''Yes... it really is.''

''What's going on here?" The Hokage demanded with a sharp tone, and immediately, everyone made way for the blonde woman to pass through. Raido waved away the healer that was closing up the smallest grazes on his skin and hurriedly stood up, approaching Tsunade with a bow of his head and walking with her towards his other two teammates. The Senju nearly gasped when she saw the state the female Jonin was in. She rushed to her side, with a wide-eyed Sakura behind her. ''Why in the world are you refusing treatment in such state? Carry her to the Hospital, NOW!'' She shouted, and everyone present flinched.

''Please, wait, Tsunade-sama.'' Genma spoke up, making her turn to him with a surprised look. ''The Medics said they had to sedate her, so she can undergo surgery. She pleaded us not to let anyone do so, until she could pass on the information we got from the mission to you.'' At his words, the young woman nodded weakly, and cleared her throat to speak.

Apparently, however, the Hokage wasn't having it. ''The mission report can be dealt with when you are all healed! I don't want to hear about Seijou now. I'm sure you dealt with him-...''

''I know who the leader of the Akatsuki is.'' Gurehai grabbed Tsunade's sleeved and pulled on it, bringing the woman face to face with her. The round of gasping going around the Hokage and the other members of Team 7 was inevitable this time, and the Hokage stood up swiftly and waved her hand urgently.

''Bring a stretcher over and take her to the Hospital, untouched. If I hear anyone even so much as _considered _drugging her, I'm sending you back to the Academy!"

\----

''...I see. I can't say I hadn't expected Sasuke to have gotten stronger than Naruto.'' Kakashi sighed, shoulders slumping at the news the white haired Sannin had just delivered. He would have had a few more resting days... but he couldn't be too greedy at times like that. ''I was hoping to rest for a few more days...'' He said jokingly, and Jiraiya immediately caught on. ''But now that he's seen the gap between them, Naruto will be even more revved up for training.''

The older man chuckled and leaned backwards to the wall. ''Let's hope your burden won't be too heavy. I unfortunately can't participate... but Tsunade is letting Gurehai off the hook after her S-Rank mission, and she will be more than willing to train with Naruto. She'll take some work off your hands.''

Kakashi hummed in agreement, and raised his head to look at his visitor. ''Jiraiya-sama... do you suppose things would have gone differently if she had joined them?''

''I don't doubt it.'' The man nodded solemnly, crossing his arms. ''Her progress and strength are undeniable. Thinking about what would have happened... The possibilities are endless, but I don't want to ponder on them. Let's not forget that it wasn't just Sasuke they came across, but also Orochimaru, and even I don't know what she would do if she encountered him.''

The masked man fell against his headboard with another sigh, having heard the confirmation to his own suspicions. _It was probably for the better... Now, all we have to wait for is for her and the other Jonin to come back. _''Well, for now, let's just be glad they returned safely.''

Whatever Jiraiya was planning on saying in return was drowned in the sound of rushed footsteps and a general commotion outside the doors of the room, coming closer and closer in a fast pace. The Sannin turned to narrow his eyes at the door, and Kakashi followed his lead tiredly, their eyes widening when the doors flew open with a loud crash.

''Put her on the bed!" Tsunade ordered with a cold tone, coming into the room and pointing at the empty bed next to Kakashi's. Then, she turned to the two men. ''It's good that you are here already.'' She told her teammate, before stepping aside to let in a pair of Medics, carrying in someone on a stretcher.

The choked gasp that escaped Jiraiya's lips had the blonde woman focusing her gaze on the floor, before she watched him push away from the wall and rush to his daughter's side.

''Gurehai?" He pressed his lips together, and ran his eyes over her bloodied attire. With his one hand grasping hers, he used the other one to caress her hair. ''What happened?" He then demanded, as Genma and Raido entered the room after the Medics left.

''Help me sit up?" The girl used her father's support to sit in a similar manner to her teacher. The Hatake was watching the scene from a few feet away, silently communicating with the Jonin leader of the mission, who chewed on his senbon and nodded slightly in reassurance. ''Before anyone says anything, I'm not leaving this room until my report is over. And it's final.'' She added with a sharp edge in her voice.

''As you've probably guessed, Tsunade-sama, the mission didn't go as planned.'' Genma began immediately, knowing his comrade wouldn't back down. ''In short, Seijou was, indeed, under Sasori's mind control. He was in a state no different than that of madness when we encountered him. Sasori's death partially lifted whatever Jutsu he had on him, but messed with his head too much in the process. Seijou himself said so, in a few moments of clearance before he killed himself.''

''He killed himself?" Tsunade frowned, and the trio bowed their heads in confirmation. ''Why?"

''Seeing Gurehai, even if he didn't completely recognize her, reminded him- or better yet, awakened, the memory of his loyalty to the late Lord Hiruzen. He confessed that he killed the platoon of Chunin that was residing in the lookout, as well as the fact that all the documents he had stolen were inside said lookout, when it blew up in flames.'' Raido, who had been in charge of Sealing and interrogating the Rogue, explained. ''He killed himself later on, to avoid getting caught by the Akatsuki again.''

''The Akatsuki found you?'' Kakashi questioned, casting a worried glance towards his student. ''Which ones did you fight?''

''Deidara, the bomber, didn't commit suicide like we thought, back when Gaara was captured.'' The Aoyo said, recalling their first encounter at the stream. ''Apparently, the body that exploded was a Clone. He was very much alive and also had his both arms, but should now be missing one, if he's still alive. He blew up half of the forest we were fighting in during his escape with his partner, so their whereabouts are unknown.'' She stole a glance at the left side of her chest in distaste. ''The important thing is, I had him under Kiokugomon. That's why I refused treatment, Lady Fifth. The information is too crucial to be lost.''

Tsunade stole a glance at her teammate, who, however, wasn't staring back at her, but glaring at the girl's wounds instead. ''I understand where you come from. In that case, we should get on what you told me earlier, so that I can treat you.'' She urged, and crossed her arms. ''Do you really know who the Akatsuki's leader is?''

''What?" A collective echo of gasps went around, and Jiraiya locked eyes with his daughter. 

''It was probably the most recent of his memories that stood out. Th-...'' A sudden throbbing sensation in her stomach made her stop and catch her breath, or rather, hold it in. The urges to vomit were becoming more persistent. She felt the Sannin's fingers tighten around hers, but she held up her other hand slightly, before anyone could intervene. ''They were all gathered in a dark place, it resembled a cave of some sorts. There was ten of them, so it must have been a while before Sasori died. Someone asked their leader for what they were to do next... Deidara looked at one man out of them... He... he was wearing a crossed out head protector, with four vertical lines carved on it. That's the Hidden Rain's symbol.''

''Their leader is a Hidden Rain Rogue?" Raido mumbled, thinking hard himself. He and Genma had insisted Gurehai didn't try to explain them too much of what she learned on their way back, since she was already pressuring herself to run. ''Could that be where their base is, too?"

''It couldn't... The leader of the Hidden Rain, Hanzo the Salamander, is someone we are familiar with... Even though not pleasantly so.'' Tsunade shook her head, dismissing the thought. ''I don't see why he would ever allow such an organization to function under his rule.''

''He also had something strange going on with his eyes. They were purple, but it didn't look like any Visual Dojutsu I've heard of. But... that's not only it.'' Gurehai added, inhaling carefully. _Just a few more seconds. Just... last a few more seconds..._ ''He... he send them all out after the Jinchuuriki.'' She added, giving Jiraiya a warning look. ''They'll eventually come after Naruto again-'' She cut herself off when her stomach churned uncontrollably, and she turned her head the other way to throw up. The red tint of blood among the other fluids was an alarming sight. 

''Get her out of here now!'' The white haired Sannin's face contorted in despair, before he decided not to wait for the healers to come, and scooped the female Jonin in his arms to carry her away. ''Where do I take her?" He asked his teammate, who opened the doors for them all to exit.

''Follow me to the Surgery rooms.'' She urged, sparing one last look inside the room. ''It's not only her shoulder, isn't it?''

''Inject her with a simple antidote to this, first.'' Raido's eyes widened, and he shook his head, realizing what had happened. He quickly passed the Hokage a tiny piece of paper. ''I provided it to her the moment she was poisoned, but she bled out because of the wound in her shoulder shortly after. That must have prevented its effectiveness.''

With, the blonde nodded, the door closed behind her, and the three former classmates were left alone. The long haired leader of the mission sighed, closing his eyes. ''She didn't tell you about the poison remnants in her system, did she?"

The scarred man shook his head and fell against the wall. ''No.'' Then he looked up at his fellow shinobi. ''She knew we wouldn't have kept on going if she was in a worse condition than we thought. Why wouldn't she mention anything?''

''That's exactly why she didn't mention anything. She probably thought stopping, or even slowing down, would endanger everything further.'' Kakashi stated, rubbing his face and slumping against the headboard once more. ''She can be reckless like that.''

''She's definitely something else.'' Genma butted in, glancing at the Hatake with a small smirk. ''I knew it before the mission, and seeing her in action only confirmed the obvious. I don't know if Lord Third is the one to praise for setting the foundation, or you for training her. Her skill is undeniable.'' Looking at the bed the young Jonin occupied less than a minute ago, his eyes slightly narrowed. ''As for her relation to Jiraiya-sama... could it be...?"

''You said it yourself.'' Was the only thing the other man said in return, letting the other both come to their own conclusions. He let his arm fall on his lap from where it was covering his face, and stared at it blankly. If he felt proud about the praise, he didn't show it.

''Her battle tactics also impressed me. She handled Deidara by herself. It was all because of her that we managed to get all this out of the mission.'' _She and Naruto... their future is bright... and different. _''For a moment there, I felt like I was on the battlefield alongside you.'' He finally let out a small chuckle at his long-time comrade.

_Is that... truly supposed to be a good thing? _Kakashi couldn't help but think, and, for a single moment, his right hand seemed to be covered in streams of blood.


	54. Lay Low

Healers were rushing all around in the dimly lit room, setting different items and tools within Tsunade's reach. Jiraiya set Gurehai's limp body on the operating table, and smoothed out a few strands of bloodied hair. 

''I'm leaving her in your care.''

''Then you don't need to worry about her.'' The blonde woman stated, nodding her head at him, and watching as he took one last glance at the unconscious Kunoichi, and exited quietly. The woman focused back on her patient, now hooked on machines to help her breath normally. The Hokage let her fingers trail over the girl's head for a second, caressing her hair, and sighing.

After a moment, Gurehai's hand suddenly shot up and grabbed her hand weakly, while her blue eyes fluttered open and closed again, evidently with a lot of effort. Her other rose up from her side to remove the mask around her mouth. 

''Y-You know... you know I d-don't care about... scars...'' She groaned, chest tightening unbearably. ''Just... m-make sure I can... move my arm pro...properly...'' The sentence ended with a pleading look in her eyes, which seemed to be desperately waiting for something. 

Tsunade took her hand and placed it back to her side, nodding and trying to keep the harshness off her face. Seeing the sign of confirmation, the Aoyo winced once more time before settling completely on the operating table, and letting one of the healers place the mask back on her face. 

_The shinobi life is engraved too deep inside you, _she wanted to say, to her, to her father, to herself, to everyone. _But perhaps... the shinobi life needs you as much as you need it... _

''Bring the scissors over!"

\----

She woke up to voices.

Three of them, to be exact.

On the other hand, it could be her body just forcing her to get up and move, especially since she felt like she'd been motionless for years when she eventually tried to sit up. The first thing she noticed when she blinked away most of the grogginess, was the large white bandages that ran around her chest, covering her entire left arm, shoulder, and also the entirety of her sternum. The second was that there was nothing, besides those bandages, hiding her upper body from view.

She held her breath and sat up with one swift movement, using her right hand to stabilize herself. Her left arm was immobilized, bent at the elbow and secured tightly against her ribs and stomach. She trusted the Hokage's word and skills, and decided not to try and move it just yet. 

She was in her house, and judging by the position of the sun outside, it was somewhere around midday. _Midday... of which day?_ Whoever had brought her back from the Hospital, however long ago _that _was, had placed her in her parents' bedroom, in the middle of the large bed. A wave of non-poison related nausea came over her, and she suppressed her wince. _Mother was lying on this same bed, mere days ago._

''_Baka Naruto!" _Came one of the voices again from downstairs. She turned her head slowly towards the half-opened door of the bedroom. ''_What did I tell you about those boxes? Get them out of the way! Do you want Gurehai to come to and trip over your collection of limited-edition Instant Ramen Specials?!"_

Sakura. Sakura and Naruto, apparently. Gurehai sighed in relief at the realization. Rolling her neck carefully and hearing the satisfying popping of her bones, she proceeded to grab at the covers covering her body up to her middle and yank them away. She was dressed in long pajama bottoms. With a sigh, she decided to believe it was Sakura who had been tending to her.

''_I told you, Sakura-chan!'' _The blond Uzumaki whined defensively. ''_Gure-chan's going to need all the energy she can get when she wakes up. She's going to be starved, isn't she?" _At that, the Aoyo forced her legs to cooperate into getting her off the mattress. Then she slowly stood up, and felt her knees protest.

''_Ya, Gurehai's going to need nutrients and proper hydration, not the processed garbage they put inside those containers nowadays.'' _The third voice drawled, and she could swear she heard Naruto gasp, offended. ''_You sure could use some of that, too. You look like a zombie.''_

_''Gaah! Kakashi-sensei!"_

The entire team was there. With a half smile, she grabbed a robe from the chair next to the door, and threw it on her shoulders. With careful and heavy steps, she opened the door quietly.

Now facing the wooden planks of the hallway, she felt her throat burning. Even gulping down her own saliva felt painful and disgusting. Her eyes stung, taking in the unfiltered daylight that came in from the wide open doors of the other rooms. She stepped into the bathroom, and supported her still unsteady body on the sink. She almost didn't want to look up and face herself in the mirror, but inhaled shakily and did so anyway.

The fact she'd gone through severe poisoning after-effects was evident, despite the presumably large amount of days she's spent just laying unconscious. Skin pale, with darker bags under her eyes than usual. Her hair, however, was pulled up at the top of her head in a manner that didn't bother her while lying down. Thankfully, whoever was responsible -Sakura, she still hoped- had left some of it hanging on the right side of her face.

The splash of cold water was more than welcome, even if a little awkward when executed with one hand. She rested her forehead against the mirror and let the water drip down her nose and chin for a while, before moving to wipe it all off with a nearby towel. _How long do I have to keep it like this? _She inwardly sighed, glancing at her immobilized arm on her way out.

''Hey, what am I supposed to add this time around, again?" Came Naruto's sheepish voice, a lot clearer and louder now. ''The broth's starting to look kinda funny.'' He added hesitantly, and Sakura was heard gasping. _...__Are they... cooking?_

''Get out of the way, Naruto.'' Their teacher's exasperation could be heard, followed by a clank of metal, and a pained cry. _500 yen says Sakura just hit him in the head with a pan. _''We're not trying to get food poisoning when there are people who can cook here.''

She finally reached the bottom of the stairs, and came to a halt. Right in front of the bottom of the staircase, stood a messy pile of three boxes. A variety of things could be seen poking out from here and there, but one thing was certain; the top on was filled to the brim with instant ramen packages. _Naruto really brought boxes over? That means..._

''What am I supposed to do then, huh? You were the one who told me I could help with lunch, Kakashi-sensei!" The Jinchuuriki whined from a few feet away, a wall separating them. Shaking her head, Gurehai's gaze fell on something on her far right. On the floor of the elevated area they used as a dinning room, the low wooden table had been pushed aside, and now a mattress had taken its place. A mattress that a large figure was currently occupying.

''That was assuming your cooking skills expanded further than pouring hot water in ramen cups!'' The pink-haired Kunoichi jabbed, and the Aoyo might have laughed at the irony that her own cooking skills didn't vary particularly more, if she wasn't busy gazing at the sleeping man on the floor. ''And, I already told you! Just go and take those boxes... out of the way!" Sakura suggested, and judging by how Naruto came tumbling into the hallway by the staircase, she had kicked him into action.

The boy slammed head-first on the wall with a loud bang, making her flinch even though he was up the following moment, rubbing his red nose with a pained expression. Just as he was about to open his mouth and complain, he caught something -or rather, someone- standing on the stairs with the corner of his eye, and slowly turned his head to face them. 

Before she knew what hit her, Naruto had jumped above both the boxes and the railing, falling onto her and nearly making them both topple over. He did, however, come at her from the right, considerate of the situation.

''GURE-CHAN!" He hollered, clinging to her like a lifeline. The Jonin allowed him to stay close to her, running a hand through his mop of blond hair. Instantly, more noises came from the kitchen, and the other two members of Team 7 appeared the following moment. 

''Gurehai!" Sakura exclaimed with a surprised smile, before her face completely blanched. ''NARUTO!" She growled, and the floorboards trembled. ''GET OFF HER, YOU INCONSIDERATE IDIOT! YOU'RE GOING TO BUMP INTO HER ARM!" He was nearly flung all the way to the other end of the hallway after that, near the previously sleeping figure- that had now bolted up at the screaming.

''I wasn't sleeping!" The Toad Sage croaked as he looked around frantically, taking in the scene in front of him, and his black eyes finally settled on his daughter, standing on the stairs still. Relief washed over his face at once, and he absentmindedly brushed off the blanket hanging off from his shoulder to step out of his bed. He approached the staircase and Team 7 stepped back, giving the duo space.

Jiraiya had his arms around the girl's middle with a smile, lifting her up with little effort. Gurehai brushed aside the uncomfortable feeling of having her team around and rested her good arm on her father's shoulder, allowing him to carry her over the railing, even when he didn't immediately set her down.

They stood there for a few seconds, with her feet several inches above the floor, and his forehead against her shoulder. For a just a split second, she froze. She was five again, sitting on top of Soshimo's shoulders, giggling as the man nearly made her hit her head on the door frame on their way outside the house. _How long ago was that? How long ago since I... felt the affection of a... father?_

She was put down shortly after, with Sakura not being able to contain herself from fussing about the bandages. ''So, what's been going on?" She asked, with Naruto back next to her side. ''Have you all decided to camp out at my house? Are we making it Team 7's headquarters?"

''...Not... exactly.'' Kakashi mumbled, in a _very _convincing way. 

''...Yes. We definitely haven't been spending the majority of the weekend here.'' Naruto nodded along.

Sakura stared at the two with narrowed eyes. ''Well, _I _have been. Tsunade-sama appointed me to look after you until you woke up, and made sure everything went alright with your arm. Jiraiya-sama doesn't need an excuse, obviously.'' 

''Yah, then I don't need an excuse either!" The Uzumaki realized then, stomping over towards the boxes. ''Gure-chan, I told everyone about your idea! And I want to, so it's done, right? We live together now!'' He grinned brightly, and her heart clenched. ''I don't need permission to be home, do I? Ha!"

_The house... my home... won't be empty anymore. It's going to be... our home. _''No, you don't. What you _also _don't need permission for, is putting your things away. If I've been out this weekend, then what have you been doing? You're clearly mistaken if you think you're slacking off with house chores now that you don't live alone.''

''_Also, _the two of them are supposed to be training.'' Sakura pointed accusingly between her teammate and sensei, who gasped in betrayal. ''But they've taken to cooking lessons instead. Which reminds me...'' She trailed off, and sniffed before grimacing. ''...Your broth is probably burning.'' She told Naruto, who rushed towards the kitchen with a wince.

A thud, a clash of something and a bout of choked coughs later, the boy returned. ''I swear, it's edible.''

Gurehai sighed with her eyes closed and a new headache approaching, and addressed the grey haired Jonin. ''What kind of training are you supposed to be doing, exactly?"

''We're training his Chakra Nature.'' He replied, eyes droopy. ''Actually, training to integrate it into the Rasengan. But, truth is, we've only gotten to the part of determining his Affinity.'' An accusing glance was sent his way. ''He insisted on waiting until you were at least conscious to start actual labor. He said he wanted both mentors.''

_As if you're complaining, _she wanted to say, but paused. _Mentors? Both? _''Both-?''

''You will be joining them as well.'' Jiraiya supplied, looking down at her with a slightly stern expression. ''Tsunade decided so. You have experience in the field of creating Jutsu, and a user of all five Chakra Natures. Naruto's going to need your stringency, too.'' He added, eyeing the Hatake, who pretended not to hear the jab directed to him, opting to look at the ceiling with new-found interest.

''I understand.'' She retorted truthfully, and then glanced her best friend up and down. _I wasn't under the impression she'd let me roam around freely and go on missions like nothing happened after this... but still... for how long will I have to... lay low for? _''What about your Affinity?"

''It's Wind!" He cracked another grin, and gave a small excited jump. ''We also have a really cool new training technique! Did you know Shadow Clones give you back all their experiences when they get destroyed? Did you? I had never realized! Now I can apparently get super strong in no time! Say, Gure-chan, will you fight me, like you promised? I want to see how strong you are!"

''Ah, sure. If the doctor approves.'' She assured him, but didn't wait for Sakura to give any sort of response, before she smiled mischievously and continued. ''And, wow, Shadow Clones really are a great idea. Did you come up with it?"

''No, Kakashi-sensei told me!"

''Then, yes, I knew.''

''...Ouch. That was mean, you know.'' The Sharingan wielder complained, as they all slowly moved to the next room over, and settled down around the kitchen counters.

''That's what you're getting under this roof from now on, sensei. You had Naruto cook, and he nearly burned down the house. Face the consequences.'' With a hard glare of distaste towards a steaming pot sitting discarded in the sink, she thought back to the boxes Naruto had brought over.

''That limited edition Instant Ramen Special sounds really good right now.''

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone and thank you for reading. Some of you might have seen this story on Quotev before. You might know me as Elel from there. The updates will follow those from Quotev, meaning new chapters will be posted simultaneously. Italics are always Gurehai's thoughts and flashbacks, and others' thoughts. I don't own any photos or characters, besides Gurehai and my other OCs. Message me, or comment for any questions.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, your author
> 
> Elel


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